


Control

by zoewinter1



Category: One Piece
Genre: (Past) Dragon/Ivankov, Demon Hunters, Demons, Enemies to Lovers, Family Bonding, Human Experimentation, M/M, Minor Character Death, Revolutionaries, Whitebeards, loosely stranger things inspired, mentioned abuse of sex workers in chapter 9, mentioned past consensual underage relationship between a 16 year old and 22 year old in chapter 9, she/her in the early years, supernatural themes, the backstory chapter is a rough one okay, they/them pronouns for ivankov in the later years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-31
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-11-07 03:12:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 90,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11050110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zoewinter1/pseuds/zoewinter1
Summary: Luffy had never known love, or comfort, for as long as he could remember. Alone and terrified within the bowels of the Kaigun labs, eleven year old Luffy had resigned himself to a life of experimentation and torture, when an opportunity by the name of Ace grants him freedom. With Ace and Sabo, Luffy learns there is so much more to life, and to this world, then what the government wants you to know.





	1. Sweet Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo this is my Big Bag fic for the One Piece 2016/2017 Big Bang project. I'll be posting a chapter every second day for the next month or so just to make sure I can get everything edited. Real life and motivation have been hitting me left and right but I'm doing my best to get at least some of this fic up in time. Warnings for this chapter at the end, and feel free to ask for any specific trigger or squick warnings either here, at AO3 (Zoewinter1) or tumblr (fanatic-author)

The solid metal door creaked open, several figures wearing lab coats streaming in to the room, clipboards clutched in tense, disapproving hands. Several of them eyed the figure curled up in the corner, others jotted things down on their clipboards. A few sniffed the air, their upset at the smell obvious on their faces.

Luffy's eyes darted between the scientists, not staying on one adult for long before hopping to the next, observing one after the other then returning to the first. His little hands curled inwards, ready to attack should any of them approach too quickly.

He was scared, though he didn't want to admit it. He was scared of them and what they might do, of what they were thinking, of what they might make him do. Nothing good never came from them. They pretended to be good, to care, but every last one of them was a selfish liar. He knew this, sometimes he just knew things. The scientists were studying that, among other things.

A few of the scientists whispered among themselves, keeping their distance from the feral boy. After several days of isolation his dark hair frizzed around his head, his wild eyes catching every movement. He still hadn't moved from his spot in the corner, keeping his back  to wall, watching them.

One scientist slowly began to slowly approach the boy, his hands held upwards in a calming display The boy had a nasty habit of _springing_ at the scientists, especially after time in isolation. Sometimes he just knew what they wanted him to do, and would show his disagreement in very obvious, and painful, ways. That was why this scientist in particular had been sent in to confront the boy. For all his flaws, he was wonderful with children, even if Luffy often reacted negatively.

"Shirororo... hello Luffy," The man grinned in a relatively peaceful, if somewhat unnerving, manner "are you feeling any better today?"

Luffy's eyes didn't leave the man in front of him. He clenched his hands tighter, staring the man down "No"

Caeser made a disappointed sound, crouching to the boy's level "And why is that, Are you hungry?"

Had he had any where to go, Luffy would have scooted away from the clown. As it was he had trapped himself in a corner and could only glare "No"

"Hmmm what's wrong Luffy?" He reached towards the boy, who flinched back, pressing against the wall to escape the man's reach.

Heart pounding, Luffy's eyes widened and he whimpered in fear "No" Head shaking back and forth, he repeated again and again "no no no nononono"

"Hey there hey there it's alright" Caeser backed a few steps up "we don't want to do anything bad, we just want to go to the pool-"

_Darkness and blood and laughter and nowhere to run and-_

" -The pool's fun, your grandpa will be there-"

_Warm arms encircling him "You did such a good job today Luffy"_

"-you want to see your grandfather right Luffy?"

For several moments there was no movement in the room. The scientists observing the affair didn't move, didn't even dare breathe out of fear of setting the boy off again. Caeser himself was frozen in a calm smile, not daring to move a muscle as he watched the boy run the idea through his head

Luffy slowly turned away from the scientist, not directly facing towards nor away from him. He sniffed "I want to see grandpa..."

A sigh of relief swept through the room. Caeser tentatively reached towards him again, this time much slower "Then let's head to the pool, shall we?"

With as much reluctance as an 8 year old could muster, Luffy took his hand.

\---

Luffy didn't like the pool.

He liked pools in general, when his mother used to take him. They were large, and there were lots of other kids there, and he'd get to swim and play.

But this pool wasn't like the pools his mother used to take him to.

 Luffy stood, barely shaking, next to his grandfather while various cords and other things he didn't know were attached to his arms, his chest, his forehead. He was cold.

"I'm very proud of you Luffy" his grandfather kept rubbing his hand up and down Luffy's back, though it no longer provided the comfort it used to "I'm proud that you keep trying"

Grandpa hadn't always been there for Luffy, although he had a hard time remembering when he wasn't. But Luffy knew there had been a time when he hadn't been there, just him and his mother.

Luffy hadn't seen his mother in a long time.

Caesar approached Luffy with the oxygen tube he'd need "Luffy I need you to remember that you are completely safe, they can't hurt you"

_they_

The scientists refused to say demons.

_"It simply isn't a scientific term" Vegapunk was unapologetic, shifting through papers on his desk, jotting notes down while he spoke "demons are creatures of myth and lore, boogeymen of the bible meant to scare children into behaving"_

_They'd left him alone, sitting on the floor, dripping wet, and he couldn't stop shaking and he couldn't stop crying and he couldn't stop the sharp gasps that kept leaving him, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't get enough air_

_"With all due respect" his grandfather was calm, standing in front of the scientist, so far away from where he sat "he was the only one there. If he says they're demons then I'm inclined to believe him"_

_He wanted his grandfather and he couldn't stop shaking he was dripping he was wet he was cold and he wanted his grandfather and that LAUGHTER-_

_The scientist shuffled a few papers, pushing his glasses up "Garp, we are dealing with actual physical beings, not creatures of bed time stories or-" he cast a sharp glance Luffy's way "the product of a child's overactive imagination. Additional research will be required for an appropriate term"_

_Luffy flinched and the scientist noticed. He didn't- he couldn't- HE was there and HE laughed and HE was evil and he couldn't go back, not to HIM, not if HE was waiting._

_"Get him something to calm him down, some morphine or something. We're sending him back in in ten"_

_"NO" the shout ripped itself free before Luffy even realized it had been him that shouted. He sprung to his feet "no no no nonononono" he backed away, inching faster and faster towards the door, away from this evil man, away from his plans that would lead him back THERE._

_"Luffy...." his grandfather frowned "you're making great progress. Everyone is ecstatic to see where this development will lead us. You are the first person in record to make direct contact with them in their territory. If you would just-"_

_"NO" he turned and he ran, scrambling away towards the door. His limbs felt heavy, still exhausted from his earlier adrenaline, he heard his grandfather behind him, and the door was so close-_

He hadn't made it out

They'd locked him away- alone- when he refused to co-operate. He didn't like to be alone. Alone was cold. Alone was dark. Alone meant no grandfather to hold him, to tell him it was okay.

He'd agreed to help after they let him out, just so he wouldn't have to be alone. He hated that room, he hated the dank smell, the inconsistent flickering light bulb, the cold. He hated the cold most of all, the walls just seemed to steal any warmth and leave him shivering for days.

But HE was always there, on the other side. Always waiting to taunt, to grab, to pull, to scratch.

_"What's wrong with him?!" the scientists scrambled around the lab, papers flying, alarms ringing. Somewhere, distantly, a siren was blaring away._

_"There's nothing wrong! He's simply panicking! Nothing on the charts indicates he's in pain, or danger, or anything to cause this reaction!" Someone was slamming on a keyboard, rapidly sweeping through the various monitors surveying the boy_

_"Clearly something is wrong! Get him out!" His grandfather was raging, screaming, grabbing the various scientists and technicians running around to listen to him._

_Atop a platform, Vegapunk watched the entire endeavour with little emotion. Several scientists and technicians kept glancing his away, awaiting permission to release Luffy from the tank._

_All the while Luffy, inside the tank and wrapped in monitors, banged on the glass and screamed for help_

Luffy was in his swimsuit atop the metal tank with his grandfather while Caeser inputted data into the computers, various technicians on the ground level doing last minute calculations and shouting numbers across the room

"You're going to be fine, Luffy" his grandfather helped him secure the oxygen mask and tube around his mouth, suctioning it on, stretching the straps behind his head, clasping them shut "Water is their weakness, so he can't hurt you in there"

_not physically_

Luffy stood up, cool air flowing through the mask nearly forcing him to breathe. He hated the pool, he hated the tube, but mostly he hated going there. The Other Side.

Slowly he scooted until he sat at the edge of the platform, his feet dangling in the water. His grandfather leaned over "Remember Luffy, you're safe" Still, he offered his arm for reassurance, which Luffy gladly took.

"We need you in there for at least twenty minutes okay Luffy?" Caesar was still fiddling with the machines the various wires attached to him lead to, "That way we can get the most accurate readings. Don't worry, one of us will pull you out when it's time, okay?"

Without responding or releasing his grandfather's arm, Luffy slowly lowered himself into the water using his grandfather's support to keep him afloat, treading water near the surface. Garp held him for another few moments, before beginning to pull back which only caused Luffy to hold tighter. One last time he tried to refuse, tried to convey to his grandfather without words why he couldn't go there, why he would rather do anything else. Staring back at his grandson it seemed Garp understood, but still he pulled away leaving Luffy alone in the water.

"Time to submerge, little submarine~" Caesar cooed from his spot near the machines and computers. Several technicians stood by, ready to close the hatch atop the tank once it was confirmed Luffy had gone under.

For a few moments Luffy considered resisting, jumping out, and running until he was outside the lab, into the forest, all the way to Russia. He couldn't remember what was so important about Russia.

But he'd tried in the past, and never succeeded. So with absolutely reluctance he let himself sink until he reached the bottom, then hooked his feet under the straps to keep him below. They couldn't physically hurt him here. Not in the water.

The technicians above closed the hatch, sealing away the light for a few panic-inducing moments before the observation panel on the side of the tank slid open, allowing the scientists to watch and observe the boy wonder.

_Screaming and banging on the glass and they were just watching and he hurt so much and he was cold he was bleeding he needed out he needed out he needed out_

He couldn't physically hurt him here.

\----

The Other Side was dark. He always seemed to forget just how dark it was but standing there in his swimsuit, thigh deep in black sludge and surrounded by tall grass. He couldn't ignore the darkness, it felt like night time with no moon or stars, just impenetrable darkness.

He waded a few steps forward, the thick slime clinging to him and dragging his legs back. He was terrified of what was to come, never in his many visits to the Other Side had he encountered another being except for Him.

Gentle sucking waves of scum made by his own steps hit the shore, the only sound in the silent void. Nothing moved, not that he could see beyond several feet in front of him, and nothing made a noise except for him. His first time here, it had amazed him.  

_He gazed in awe. It was so quiet, he'd never experienced a quiet quite like it. In the labs there were always scientists buzzing, keyboards typing, papers printing, people shouting. Only in the isolation room, when he was a bad boy, was there ever a complete quiet like this. But this quiet wasn't bad, or oppressing, or silencing. It was simply empty, like nothing existed except for him._

Now he knew better.

As quickly as he could in the thick sludge he tried walking out of the pond but in all his journeys here, he'd never reached the edge. He could hear his waves sloshing along the sides, could faintly make out where the ground rose up, but he never made it there.

Slowly, with utmost precision, he crept forward. He kept his eyes peeled and ears open, in an attempt to spot the creature approaching even though he never had before. He couldn't hear anything but the blood rushing through his ears and the frantic beating of his heart with his heavy panicked panting. He tried his best to stay silent because maybe this time would be different, maybe this time he could run maybe this time-

"Zehahaha I thought little human boys knew better than to come here?"

Luffy felt nothing but pure adrenaline before he realized he was running. As fast as he could through thigh deep sludge, he desperately reached away from himself for something, anything to fight back with.

A force like no other slammed into the back of his head, knocking him face first into the sludge. For a few, paralyzing, moments he couldn't move, he couldn't breathe. His hair floated around him in the slime and his eyes were open but he couldn't see anything, not there was anything to see in the black oil or so he hoped.

Finally his feet found purchase on the pond floor and he shot up with a choking gasp, running again for something anything just away from Him.

"Now now aren't we just having so much fun? Come back little human booyyy" He was following him, His pace slow enough to mock but not enough to actually fall behind Luffy's desperate sprint through the sludge.

A force grabbed his ankle, ripping him up into the air. Desperately he released terrified scream, thrashing to escape the grip. He was dangling several feet above the surface, his wide eyed reflection staring back at him in the pond goop. He struggled against the incorporeal constraint, reaching up in an attempt to claw at the nothing that held him.

"Come on Human Boy we're just having FUN!" With a laugh, He tossed Luffy into the air, catching him again by the ankle.

Luffy screamed first in fear, then in pain as his entire weight was once again forced upon his ankle held high. His breaths came in short gasps, hardly able to breathe with the panic and adrenaline running through his system. No longer struggling, tears dripped down his forehead into the pond below.

"Oooh?" something was watching him now, closely observing him, watching his unmoving figure "come on little human boy" his entire figure shook, the force gripping his angle suddenly jerking him around causing a pained shout to escape him "the fun's just begun, don't die NOW"

Suddenly He tossed the little boy, and for a brief second Luffy realized the demon had never done THAT before. For just a few split seconds he flew through the air, no demon holding him, no sludge clinging to his legs weighing him down, he felt free.

But after those few seconds he felt an immense amount of pain in his chest as he slammed into something solid on the ground, sliding down into the sludge once more. It only took him a moment to realize what he'd hit had been the edge of the pond he'd so desperately sought. Tears streaming down his face, he dug his fingers into the brittle frozen soil, cracking his nails in attempt to pull himself onto the shore. His breathing felt funny, something wasn't right.

"Zehahaha so you are alive!!" He came closer, Luffy could feel his evil presence approaching "and just when I thought play time was over"

With a heave, Luffy pulled himself over the edge onto the ground. He hadn't realized just how cold it was before, but now he was shivering, cold breaths puffing out of his mouth before evaporating into the air. Off in the distance there was something amongst the darkness, a light?

A warm breath along his neck pulled him from his thoughts "I wonder what other fun we can have hm?"

Luffy whimpered, crawling away with bleeding cracked hands and broken ribs along the frozen ground towards the light, he was certain that's what it was now, a light in the darkness.

Darkness gripped his ankle, pulling him back towards the pond "and where do you think you're going  little human boy, the fun is over here"

He wouldn't make it, not today. But he could try again.

\----

The scientists grumbled amongst themselves while Luffy sat shivering, alone on the platform next to the tank. Someone had given him a thin towel, not that the he'd noticed. Several scientists tried to decipher the data they'd received from Luffy's brief time on the Other Side, but the facts remained: he hadn't stayed long enough to provide any useful information at all.

Luffy stared at his hands, unblinking, taking deep breaths.

His chest didn't hurt. His fingers weren't bleeding. His ankle was fine.

That was always how it was, ever since they'd started sending him to the Other Side. While submerged the demon couldn't physically hurt him, but he still FELT the pain. Back on This Side it was so strange for him because he was plagued by memories of horrific pain and torture, but there was no physical evidence of it ever happening at all.

He continued dripping as the scientists still ignored him, moaning and groaning about the incomplete charts, the ruined data, the inconclusive evidence they'd received. They'd come up here, soon, to harass him, to punish him, to do whatever they wanted. But for now he was alone.

That also meant Grandpa was nowhere to be found. It hurt, but it didn't surprise him. He hunched his shoulders, drew his legs in a little closer. His ankle throbbed in phantom pains from the demon's attack.

Grandpa was only there when Luffy did well, when Luffy made him proud. Leaving early didn't make grandpa proud of him, ruining data certainly didn't make grandpa proud of him. The scientists need that data to better understand the Other Side, to harness their power, to safely explore the new world and it's opportunities.

At least that's what Grandpa always said.

The metal stairs creaked under the weight of Caesar coming up the stairs, the only one who would speak to him when he failed. Everyone else didn't care about him, Caesar certainly didn't care about him. But everyone said Caesar was good with kids. Luffy wasn't sure he'd agree.

"Now Luffy" He crouched down to Luffy's level, like he always did "Do you know what you did wrong?"

Luffy refused to look at the man, but after a moment's hesitation managed a shaky nod. He was supposed to stay for twenty minutes for conclusive data. He failed, meaning anything they could have gained from the venture was worthless. Luffy was mad too, all that work and pain for nothing.

"And do you know what you should have done instead?"

He waited another moment, then gave a shaky nod. He should have toughed it out, should have acted like a man, should have dealt with the pain for the sake of the greater good.

Or at least that's what Grandpa always said.

"Now because of what you did wrong, we need to start all over. Can you get back in the pool Luffy?"

He shook his head with no hesitation, He would not go back, they could not make him go back. HE would still be around, HE would still be nearby. Luffy needed to wait, until tomorrow at least, for HIM to lose interest and leave the pond, so Luffy could wait and hide. He'd done it before.

Caesar shook his head disappointed "Luffy..." there was fake concern in his eyes, and fake worry in his voice "We can't wait until next week, or even tomorrow. A lot of money brought all this equipment to life, and all these nice science people are here so you could safely go to the Other Side today. If you don't stay for the necessary amount of time then it's all one big waste, and you don't like waste do you Luffy?"

Luffy didn't care about waste. He didn't care how much money went into sending him today, he'd gone back before when they'd told him to and it was always _worse_.

Caesar didn't care about him. Caesar cared about moving up the ranks, and was placing all his bets on Luffy. Wasn't Luffy's fault Caesar was a grubby greedy bastard.

But Caesar didn't care about him. Caesar picked up Luffy gently and placed him in the pool. Clinging to the edge, Luffy glared at Caesar as the man sent his best grin, offering the oxygen tube to Luffy before shutting the top, forcing Luffy to grab the proffered tube and let go of the edge.

They could force him into the pool, but they couldn't force him to project himself into the Other Side.

It took about five minutes of everyone outside the tank watching him float calmly with arms crossed to realize he wasn't going to the Other Side. Ten minutes of grumbling, going through empty charts, old corrupted data and still Luffy sat at the bottom of the tank watching them. Fifteen minutes of cold water, cold air, blurry figures moving around before several of them gave up and left the lab. Twenty minutes before Caesar opened the tank with an irritated scowl. Luffy swam to the top.

"Now Luffy..." He ignored Caesar, angry at being forced back into the cold water. He ripped the tube off his face, and climbed out of the pool "Remember what we said? It's going to be a waste if you don't-"

"No" he cut off Caesar, having heard this speech not half an hour earlier. Putting him back in the pool had been a waste of time, and they'd have known that had they just listened to him.

Caesar was looking at him with that expression, the one he wore when he knew a battle had been lost but a war was still raging. If Luffy refused to go, there was nothing he could do to make him go but motivate him to try harder next time.

"Well" Caesar stood up, rubbing him temples "I guess we don't have anything left to discuss then, do we Luffy?" Luffy refused to look at him, instead glaring at the floor and his cold shivering hands

"I'll see you in a few days then" He turned and walked back down the steps from the platform, several guards passing him on their way up.

Luffy couldn't stop himself from crying even if he wanted to, and he really, really wanted to. But he was already so cold, and tired, and scared. He started shaking with heavy sobs and whimpers. When the guards grabbed his arms to drag him away he began thrashing, and cried out "NO"

They ignored him, as did all the scientists while he was dragged through the labs and towards the corridor, all the while screaming and thrashing.

Luffy managed to land one kick on one of the guards but he was unfazed, and it left his foot aching from connecting with the body armour at such a speed rather than flesh. Luffy could still feel his ankle give a phantom throb now and again from where He grabbed it, only causing Luffy more distress and discomfort.

His tears, his sobs, and his pleas for help were all ignored. The guards merely stared straight ahead, ignoring the small boy to the best of their abilities. Their hands were clenched tightly on each of his arms, pulling him along as he dragged his legs and kicked at them, desperate to escape their crushing grips dragging him back to his room.

The guards released a sigh of relief as they reached the gray metal door to Luffy's room, ignoring him despite his thrashing increasing upon spotting it himself. Carefully one of them opened the door while the other dragged him in, placing him on the bed before turning to leave.

Desperate not to be alone, Luffy grabbed at the guard nearest to him

"Please don't go, I'll eat the weird plants, I'll let them put the weird cords on my head, they can take all my hair again, but please don't leave me alone please" He pleaded, small fingers clutching at the black body armour. He was dripping and cold and afraid and they were just going to leave him in there, alone.

The guard stared at him, face twisted in a grimace "Sorry kid" he grumbled, before ripping Luffy's hand off of him and turning fully away to exit the room. The other guard slammed the door shut behind them.

Still crying, snot and tears still escaping him, Luffy curled up on the bed clutching his threadbare blanket.

For now he was still wet, still cold, and still in his swimsuit but he knew a change of clothes would we waiting for him on one of the shelves, and his towel still sat soaking wet on the floor. He wanted to get changed, to dry off, and to warm up just a little in this dark concrete room.

But he didn't know how long it would be this time, so for now he was wet and cold, and he continued to cry alone on his bed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter: Forced isolation, one sided fight that's pretty much torture, and human experimentation. The fight is graphic but the experimentation is not.  
> So this is the first chapter? I know it's only Luffy really right now but I promise our favourite boys will be coming in soon. This is crossposted on fanfiction dot net under the same name. Feel free to review here, or yell at me on tumblr (fanatic-author)


	2. How Far I'll Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we have chapter 2! Warnings are at the bottom, feel free to message me here, on fanfiction (Zoewinter1) or on tumblr (fanatic-author) if you'd like to know anything specific, be they triggers, squicks, or just things you don't generally like, or if you'd like to let me know what you think, I love feedback!

_Every road leads back_

_To the place I know where I cannot go_

He stood on the edge of the cold metal platform, his feet slowly going numb. His were eyes red and puffy from his earlier crying, but the scientists milled around and ignored, setting up the equipment. He didn't want to go.

"Ah Luffy I'm so happy you're helping us" Caesar said, grabbing wires and tubes and whatever else an evil scientist needed "Reason is such a wonderful thing isn't it? It's not that bad on the Other Side, I'm sure" without even looking at the boy he handed him his oxygen tube, tapping away at a computer.

Grandpa still wasn't here, so he hooked up his own oxygen tube. When he'd asked Caesar, he'd said Grandpa was busy working, and that maybe if everything went well today he could open up his schedule to see him again. Which meant they still weren't letting him see him, because he failed last time, because he wasted money and ruined data.

He knew Grandpa was often busy. He was the head of security, which meant he was in charge of protecting everyone here. Every scientist (even Caesar, ew) depended on Grandpa, and Grandpa's guards, to keep them safe from people who would want to hurt them, who would want to hurt him.

Grandpa said he was kind of like a superhero, or a knight. But he couldn't protect Luffy from the Other Side, or the demons, or even Vegapunk.  Grandpa could protect Luffy from everything except the things that actually hurt him.

"Come on little submarine" Luffy hated that nickname, but Caesar didn't care about him "time to submerge" Caesar lifted the top of the tank open, Luffy reluctantly stepped in one foot at a time into the piercing cold water. He shivered, hesitantly, but with a sharp look from Caesar he sunk under the water and swam to the bottom, hooking his feet in. For several agonizing moments he sat alone in the water, waiting for them to open up the observation panel and let the light in.

6 days. They'd left him in isolation for 6 days. They'd slide him his food through a slot in the door, never showing even a glimpse of a hand before leaving him. 6 days of the cold cement walls stealing his warmth, giving nothing but a light dampness and a freezing cold in return. He'd screamed, he'd cried, he'd begged to be let out. He'd tried grabbing the hands giving him food, because surely there was someone there right?

Still, it'd been 6 days before they'd returned, observing him, escorting him back to the pool.

With a metallic groan someone pulled open the observation panel, allowing light to spill in and momentarily blinding Luffy. He blinked several times, and could just barely make out adults at computers, walking around. A lot of them just stood there, staring at him.

A large blurry figure he knew to be his grandpa gave him a thumbs up. Grandpa was waiting for him on This Side, just outside the tank, waiting for him to finish. If he did well he could see Grandpa again, maybe he could stay in Grandpa's room tonight. He'd tell him stories about Pirates and Knights and things that weren't real. For a little while Luffy would just be Luffy, and Grandpa would just be Grandpa.

In twenty minutes, if Luffy did well, he could be a normal boy with his normal Grandpa and for a little while he could be happy again.

With the scientists watching and Grandpa grinning Luffy closed his eyes. Any sound making it through the tank and water faded away until he heard nothing,  felt nothing, and he pulled away from This Side.

\-----

The moment he hit the Other Side he started running.

It was difficult, the sludge was thick and it clung to him dragging him down and slowing him greatly. With every step he nearly fell, picking himself up and throwing himself further each time. It was still dark, he still couldn't see the edge of the bank, but still he pushed himself harder than he ever had.

He knew there was an edge now, and he knew there was something else there.

The deep cutting laughter of Him made his hair stand on end, made him push himself even harder. Luffy was terrified, and exhausted from the slime pulling him down, but still he put every ounce of energy he could into it. He was far away, alerted to Luffy's presence by his frantic running, and panting. Often He'd get bored when Luffy was gone for long periods, forgetting he was coming, wandering away. Never far, never far enough. But maybe today, maybe today Luffy could make it.

Luffy cried as a breath ghosted across the back of his neck "Glad to see you're back little human boy" His claws ripped into Luffy's shoulder, throwing him into the air flipping head over heels again and again before landing in the sludge, submerging partially.

He pushed himself out of the sludge as fast he could. It was only a little further, he could make it, he could do it. He had to do it.

Despite the thick black sludge weighing him down Luffy kept running, the demon right behind him laughing "Where are you going little human boy? We're not done playing Zehahaha!" Luffy screamed as he was ripped into the air again, his heart falling into his throat with fear "Come on! Aren't you having fun?!?!"

Dangling above the surface, Luffy reached up in a desperate attempt to free his ankle from the tightening grip, claws digging in. A slow stream of blood began to make its way down his leg from his ankle, and he swung, each reach not quite making it. Blood dripped from his shoulder into the sludge below. His tears escaped against his will, dripping down with his blood.

He was trying so hard not to cry, Grandpa always told him not to cry. Grandpa told him to be strong, to be a man and toughen up so it wouldn't hurt so bad. Grandpa said if he just toughed through it would get better, less scary.

The demon began shaking him around, back and forth, causing his head to whip side to side. He choked on a sob, holding his head to better protect his neck. His sight blurred with tears, he'd never died on this side before, he didn't know what would happen if he did but he desperately did not want to find out. Would his body back home fall into a coma? Would it die? Or would it keep on living, doing everything he normally did, without him? An empty shell void of a soul mimicking the patterns of who the one who once inhabited him.

Grandpa had never been to the Other Side before. Grandpa had never met HIM, had never played with HIM, had never tried running through oily sludge. Why did Grandpa think it was so easy to stay here for so long when he'd never done it?

Grandpa wasn't much of superhero in his opinion.

Very suddenly Luffy was weightless, flying through the air. It took him a moment to realize he'd been tossed, another precious second to tense just in time to collide with the freezing side of the pond.

The impact knocked the breath out of his chest. He felt a tooth come loose in his mouth, and blood dripping from his nose. He clawed his way out of the sludge onto the ridge, broken gasps and frozen wheezes  escaping him, wanting so badly to be free from this. He wanted to be wrapped up in blankets, not fleeing from the monster he could hear laughing behind him. 

Pulling himself to his knees he looked around. The light wasn't there.

He cried, an ugly heartbroken shout into the air. All the fighting, all the running, grabbing HIS attention early, had been for nothing. Had it been twenty minutes yet? How could he know, what if it was all a waste again? What if he didn't get to see Grandpa? He was so tired, and cold, he didn't want to be here.

He picked himself up onto his feet, and nearly fell. His ankle was throbbing and bleeding, the bone exposed. He could barely take a single step without crying. He searched and scanned the area for something he could hop to. Low lying bushes and tall grass were all that he could reach time. In the distance he could make out a forest but it was much too far. Out of options and out of time he dived under a bush and waited.

His shoulder pulsed with each heartbeat, blood and pus oozing out onto his arm. His chest was covered in it, his leg soaked in blood from his ankle. Light-headedness was the least of his worries, though not an insignificant one. What could he do now? Luffy could still hear Him out there, laughing and searching. Would he grow bored and leave? Would he assume Luffy had gone back to This Side? Or would he stay searching and stalking until Luffy was certain it was safe to go back?

"Come on little magic boy, it isn't any fun without you! Surely we can keep playing" He passed near the bush Luffy was hiding under, and he stifled a gasp as the shock of Him being so near sent a shock of adrenaline through his being. The stench of him this close was rancid "Are you hiding from me? Is this a new kind of game? ZEHAHAHA!"

The hairs on the back of Luffy's neck stood, -and he slowly looked upwards. He dreaded what he might see lurking above him in the bushes.

And there He was, staring back at him from above the bushes through the leaves and twigs. But that wasn't what caught his attention, for above Him was it. The mystical glowing light.

Close up he realized it was less an abstract light and more a sharp glowing fire, a shape was probably in there somewhere but he couldn't make it out. Captivated he stared it down, for once ignoring the demon who'd tormented him for weeks. Aggravated at being ignored, the demon turned to look at the light.

Before He could have possible seen what was there, He was suddenly sent flying by the light. Distantly Luffy heard Him land in the pond, an angry scream and splash far enough away not to bother.

_Hello_

He stifled a gasp. He hadn't known what the light was, but now it was speaking to him. Gently he whispered back from within the bush "hello"

_I can help you_

He blinked tears away, nodding "I need help"

_Go back, bring me with you_

"where?" he was confused, bring him back to the pond? Back to the demon who'd been tormenting him? Surely he knew the way, surely he could hear the demon cursing and rapidly approaching them.

_Back to the Land of Living. Bring me to the Land of Living and I promise you, I will fulfill your every command._

Back to This Side? Away from the Other Side? Could he even do that? He must be able to, or the light wouldn't have asked, but he absolutely had no idea how. Should he even? This was a demon, and even if he hadn't attacked immediately like the other he was still dangerous. He could hurt the others, What if he could hurt Grandpa?

_I will free you from those that bind you, I will train you to be more powerful than you could ever imagine_

"You'll help me be strong? Strong enough to protect myself?" His voice rose a little louder in a sick sort of excitement. He wanted, no he needed, freedom. A hesitant excitement began to rise in his chest. His whole life he'd been controlled, manipulated, and abused into doing what others wanted. His decisions were never his own, his life was never his own.

_With me by your side, no one will harm you again_

HE was returning, getting closer. HE was angry, stomping his feet, shouting curses and nonsensical shouts into the air. HE wanted to hurt him, to kill him, to give grievous harm to the demon before him.  He didn't have the time to think this through, to weigh all his options. He had to leave NOW, with or without this demon.

The demon didn't want to hurt him, and maybe his intentions weren't entirely selfless, but he didn't want to hurt Luffy. That would have to do. As he came to his decision words flooded into his mind, and he hoped he'd made the right decision.

He thrust his hand into the fire, whispering words that he didn't know, that he himself did not think " _By the power within me I hold you to your contract, to help me, to fulfill my every command, to free me from those that bind me, to train me to unimaginable strengths, to never allow harm to befall me. In return I will bring you to the Land of Living. Do you accept these terms?"_

A calloused hand met his within the fire, and Luffy released his hold on the Other Side.

\-----

Coming to within the tank was never a pleasant experience.

The weightlessness was unnerving, as was the silence. Hardly any sound could penetrate the tank due to the water, and it left him disoriented for several minutes. His body was too confused at the switching planes, and his mind couldn't keep up.

He blinked slowly, and blinked again trying to regain his bearings. He reached down to untie his feet from the bottom so he could swim up where Caesar would be waiting to unlock the hatch and let him up. They'd all be so proud of him, he wasn't seizing or screaming, he was even swimming to the top all on his own. Sometimes (most times) they had to get him out themselves because he was still too trapped in the panic and pain within his mind.

One foot detached from the straps, then the other. For a moment he floated, relishing in the freedom away from Caesar and Vegapunk and every other scientist who peered at him like a lab experiment. Alone, he floated near the bottom of the tank, absorbing the silence pierced only by the occasional screech of an alarm.

He looked up, and swam to the observation panel. He placed either hand on the side of the glass, doing his best to peer through the water to the other side. Something was wrong.

Everything was bright, and flickering outside. There were alarms blaring, several different types. Ringing, screeching, beeping, screaming. People were running, into the lab, out of the lab, in circles trying to escape... something.

Something was there, something bright and undefined, something with definite malicious intent. It ripped through the lab, scattering burning papers and broken equipment, burning everything. Even scientists, the scientists were screaming.

Grandpa's guards were there, firing their pistols at the demon. But he only laughed and flew through them, melting their armour into their skin leaving them smoking and screaming. Luffy was very grateful his air was pumped in from an outside source, he didn't need, nor want, to know what burnt flesh smelt like.

The curious thing was, despite the chaos and the danger, Luffy wasn't scared, although by all means he knew he should be. This demon was ripping apart the only place he'd ever known as home (but he knew that wasn't entirely true, he'd a had a home before, somewhere else) and killing all those in his path, with no sign of stopping. He just kept burning through the room, killing scientists, and melting guards.

But he wasn't going to hurt Luffy. Any guards who approached his tank were whisked away and dealt with where the tank wasn't at risk of being of damaged and hurting Luffy. Gently he floated, hands on the glass, watching the carnage and destruction.

Eventually guards stopped coming, and scientists stopped moving, and while free flames licked and ate everything they could, the demon left them to their own devices to free him. Luffy gestured up, pointing to where the hatch was. He pushed his face against the glass, watching the demon approach where Caesar always released him. He disappeared from Luffy's line of sight, and he swam to the top of the water, coughing. His air was getting thinner, how long had he been in there?

After several minutes of laboured breathing with nothing to show, Luffy swam back to the observation glass, peering up at where the demon had disappeared. Without any visual contact from him, Luffy began anxiously banging on the glass to catch the demon's attention.

Soon enough, though by Luffy's intent or his banging the glass was unclear, he made his reappearance in front of the glass. Nervously he held his throat, gestured to the tube coming from his mouth, doing his best to demonstrate his need for air. The demon nodded, then backed up.

Luffy wasn't sure he knew what the demon was about to do, but he had an idea. A bad one, but he also didn't have the time, nor air, to convey what a terrible idea it was. Quickly he ripped off his tube, holding his breath.

Sure enough the demon came crashing through the glass of the observation panel, gushing  water out onto the laboratory floor along with Luffy. Unfortunately, as Luffy foresaw, the demon was drenched and swept away as well with a strangled yell.

The wave also had the added effect of dousing any fires near them, which was good for fire sensitive humans like Luffy but not fire demons. For several seconds they both lay there, gasping, before a figure jumped up from the water, grabbing at Luffy.

For a second, only a split one really, Luffy didn't know who it was. He was tall, but no more so than the average adult. He had two arms, two legs, just like humans did. He also had a face, and shaggy black hair. He looked to be covered in dirt, ashes? It only took a second, a split one really, but Luffy realized this was the fire demon.

He could barely contain his giggles at the sight of the powerful being who'd saved him, reduced to something so _normal_.

The demon rolled his eyes "Act first, think later, bad idea I know let's go" he grabbed Luffy's arm, lifting him to his feet and immediately started running. The demon's breathing was heavy, like really heavy, but he didn't stop running with Luffy in tow.

"What's your name?" Luffy asked, not at all phased by the situation.

"My- My name? I really think that can wait, we're in a bit of a situation don't you think?" Alarms were still blaring, fires still burning, and Luffy was pointedly _not_ looking at the bodies around him.

He really did appreciate what the demon was doing for him, but it was impossible to ignore the sick feeling trapped in his stomach with the knowledge that those bodies were _people_ , people he'd known nearly his entire life. They'd never treated him that well, they'd never questioned orders, but they were still...

 They reached the hallway and every door was shut, probably locked. With a groan from mister-no-name they took off to the end, where it split into two going either way "you wouldn't happen to have a map? Or know where one is? Cuz yeah that would be fantastic right now"

"I can't keep calling you mister-no-name cuz you probably do have a name even though you won't tell me. Should I keep calling you The Demon?" Luffy scratched  his chin and Mister-no-name or The Demon groaned in frustration, running left pulling along Luffy by the arm "The Demon isn't a very nice name, so I think I'll call you Suzie"

"Hikennoace," Mister-DID-have-a-name shouted, out of breath exasperated "My name is Hikennoace, now can we please focus on the Life or Death situation here? Know a good way out?"

"My name's Luffy, Hiccup-no-ace, pleasure to meet you" Luffy chirped politely. Grandpa had always made sure he knew his manners, especially when meeting new people. Usually it was new scientists but surely new demons counted? "Hiccup-no-ace is a long name, do you get hiccups? or no hiccups at all? Can I call you Ace?"

Ace stopped and turned to face Luffy "No I don't get hiccups. yes you can call me Ace. Do you know the way out or not?"

"Two more rights then a left at the fish tank, Caesar sneaks out the window for smoking breaks"

Ace gaped at him for a second, then snapped his jaw shut with a smile "Glad we figured that out, Luffy, pleasure to meet you. Shall we get out of here?"

Luffy nodded, completely serious "Yes I'd like that very much"

_All the time wondering where I need to be is behind me_

_I'm on my own to worlds unknown_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter: More one sided fight that is pretty much torture, references to forced isolation, a demon p much slaughtering a laboratory (not extremely graphic nor detailed, but also not that vague)   
> See guys I didn't torture Luffy for thaaaat long :) Please if you enjoyed leave a review and let me know what you think! Who are your favourite characters? When do you think Sabo is coming in? What are your theories for what will happen? Give me a shout!


	3. Fight For Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm back with Chapter three! Notes and warnings for this chapter at the bottom, and just so y'all know this story is cross posted to Fanfiction.net (Zoewinter1) also you can find me over at Tumblr (Fanatic-author)

_Could you hold my hand?_

If you'd asked Ace in that moment what he'd been thinking, he probably couldn't tell you.

They both sat side by side in the wet alleyway. The grey overcast skies giving no clear indicator of time or day. He was getting increasingly chilled by the concrete beneath him, as  was the little boy ( _his master_ his mind cautiously advised), they were both  dripping wet, Ace still feeling sluggish from the effects of having who knows how many gallons of water dumped on him. Absently he noted he was far from his true, powerful form. The water had reduced him to little more than a plain human body covered in dripping mud-like ash, not the powerful fire demon of legend he was supposed to be.

Absolutely Fuck water.

 With both of them panting from the escape, Ace berated himself over and over again for committing himself to something without thinking it through. Now he, Ace the most powerful fire demon in existence, was a servant to a dripping gasping shivering _child._

_An incredibly powerful child with enough strength to fully pull him to The Land of Life and keep him there, with seemingly unlimited energy_

He _had_ been thinking when he saw the child fleeing Teach, contrary to what Marco may insist later. He'd seen a small defenceless human boy in The Land of Magic and hadn't understood at all. He'd been on his way to Teach's territory for some time, rumors of him torturing a weaker demon had reached even him, which meant everyone knew at that point. What he hadn't expected to find was a small _human_ boy. A very powerful human boy, who now sat next to him shivering, with only a small garment of fabric covering his bottom, which offered little protection from the cold, or the concrete they both sat on. Not that Ace wore anything more, in fact he wore nothing, used to his inner fire providing warmth and protection of which he had neither at the moment, thanks to getting doused in a waterfall of water while freeing his master.

The word still left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He could leave, the kid didn't seem to have a good grasp on his abilities and wouldn't be able to punish or even hurt him. But how long could he last on his own? Already he'd gotten himself soaked and he wasn't sure how long he could sustain himself on this side really but being a slave to a child just didn't suit him.

"Please stay" Luffy grabbed his hand, making Ace jump. The pathetic looking kid was staring at him with pleading eyes, making his bitter heart melt just a little bit, "I won't make you a servant or anything and I can look after you while you're wet" he clung a little tighter.

"I just don't want to be alone. Please." Oh no, ohh no, Ace didn't do well with crying. Tears were gathering in the kid's eyes, making Ace feel a pang of empathy; he looked so lonely, like no kid ever should. He suddenly felt awkward, unsure how exactly to comfort, or even if he should comfort Luffy.

"Oh, uh, ok," Ace gently wrapped an arm around him, "I, uh guess you've got good powers of perception too huh?"

Luffy blinked at him in confusion, slightly at ease now that Ace wasn't considering running away.

"Um," Oh god he didn't know how to handle this, he grimaced, and tried clarifying, "you can read minds?"

"Oh," Luffy scrunched up his nose, a small frown twisting his features, "No. They tried to make me do that, a few times, but I didn't get any words." absently, he gripped the arm nearest to him and started tracing doodles on Ace's skin, which had a layer of wet ash perfect for drawing.

Ace sighed a miniscule sigh of relief, relinquishing his arm to the child to draw with, "So you perceive things then? The future?"

"Feelings," He'd made a couple of swirly circles, and was concentrating real hard on a sunshine,.

"Like you were all worried 'bout having to be below me ‘n stuff. But I don't want that, I just don't like being alone," without relinquishing the doodle covered demon arm he curled up, knees to his chest, out of cold or fear Ace wasn't sure "really don't like being alone."

"Oh" Ace was dumfounded, here he was, sitting next to potentially the most powerful magic user currently alive, and the kid was on the verge of tears at the thought of being alone. And he had incredible powers in perception and demon entrapment "Well I mean you got me out of there all right so," he scratched the back of his head with his free arm "I won't leave you I guess. Safer to be together right?"

Ace knew he was fucked the moment that kid smiled the brightest happiest smile he'd ever seen "You promise? Pinky promise not to leave me alone, ever? Not even when I mess up?"

Shit.

Ace's heart melted into puddles at Luffy's joyful expression "Never ever, pinky promise." he wrapped his pinky finger in the other's and they shook on it. Not a binding contract, no magic, just a promise between friends not wanting to be alone.

\-----

Usually, in most cases, sometimes in human society it was considered appropriate to wear clothing.

Despite being a demon that rarely visited the Land of Living, Ace understood this. Clothing provided warmth for warm-blooded bodies that needed heat to survive, as well protection from the elements and outside forces. He especially had a healthy appreciation for jeans after watching many small human children trip and get up, as if their articles of clothing hadn't saved them from potentially grievous injuries.  Clothing also allowed to humans to colonize and expand into territories they'd have never dared to otherwise, providing warmth and protection in very extreme climates. They even had clothing that protected from rain (which Ace had discovered was water that fell from the sky and decided the Land of Living was a wretched rotten place), Ace was determined to obtain water protection clothing as soon as possible.

Clothing also allowed for them to display things like culture, personality, and interests. Humans could learn so much about each other just from a single glance; they could even attract mates with the right wears. Clothing had so many purposes for humans that Ace truly appreciated.

He just didn't understand why _he_ had to wear it.

"It's what humans do!" Luffy shouted, frustrated. The two of them  stood opposite each other in the alleyway, doing as much as a naked demon and near naked child could do to avoid drawing attention . Ace's arms were crossed, as he glowered down at the child (who was unfazed),

"We wear clothing, even when nobody is around" Luffy protested.

"But you see," Ace uncrossed his arms, facing off against the eleven year old boy in a great show of maturity,

" _I_ am not a human, so I don't see why I should have to subject myself those _things,_ " he emphasized with a disgusted tone.

Luffy gave a humph, unimpressed "But you're gonna stand out too much without it. No one wants to see an _adult_ walking around with his wee-wee hangin' out," Luffy scowled, making him look more childish than angry in Ace's opinion,

"Grandpa always said that it’s ‘ _inappropriate’"_

"Did you just use air quotes at me?" Ace's replied, scandalized.

"I guess it's ‘ _inappropriate’,_ " he air quoted back "for an adult human to walk around with his wee-wee hanging everywhere but look!" he gestured both hands between his soot covered legs where a particular thick patch of ash sat.

 "I don't even have a wee-wee" He replied triumphantly, he puffed out his chest in pride, despite being in an argument with a child over the merits of a demon wearing clothing, using eloquent terminology such as "wee-wee" .

"Weird" Luffy stuck out his tongue, to which Ace gasped in disbelief, "but you gotta cover your bottom too."

Ace spun around, once again gesturing to the ashes clinging to his skin where a bum _usually_ was "No bottom either! Ha!"

Luffy remained silent, eyebrows scrunched together, head tilted to the side. For a moment Ace was worried he had somehow accidentally offended the child but then in a small voice Luffy asked, "do you poop?"

For a solid beat neither said anything staring at each other, one in disbelief, and the other in honest confusion. "D-Do I poop?"

"You don't have a buttcrack,” Luffy pointed out "Do you poop?"

Ace doubled over laughing, clutching his abdomen. For several moments neither of them said anything, then after several more gut wrenching guffaws, Ace wiped a tear from his eye and coughed to clear his throat before replying,  "I do not poop. I consume energy to retain a physical form. My consumption system is far more efficient than a human's, there's no waste"

"Oh" Luffy looked to the floor, then back up at Ace "you still have to wear clothing though"

Ace let out a frustrated cry, damn this kid was persistent, "Why should I wear pants child, no wee-wee, no bottom, no excrement. I am a powerful fire demon , therefore I absolutely do not need the warmth nor protection clothing provides. I have no intention of interacting with other humans so whatever messages you people pass on with, I don't need"

Luffy looked at Ace with wide innocent eyes "why don't you have a wee-wee?"

Ace's jaw dropped "What? Were you even listening?"

Luffy ignored the question "You said you don't have a buttcrack cuz you don't poop but humans use their wee-wees to make babies so how do demons make babies?"

Ace sunk to the floor, all hope for educating this child lost "Kid if you think I'm giving you the demonic sex talk, you are dead wrong."

\----

Without concluding their argument, the two silently decided to leave it for now. They still sat in that same alleyway they'd been hiding in, and Luffy still flinched with every police officer passed. They hadn't seen a guard nor scientist in some time but the thought of capture left both of them still fraught with nerves.

The matter of Ace's clothing aside, it really wasn't a question of whether or not Luffy needed it. The boy shivered relentlessly , still wet and cold from his earlier time in the tank. Even Ace was reconsidering his earlier stance on the argument as the clouds broke apart and began pouring water from the sky, further drenching him, thus weakening him.

Ace pulled Luffy closer as his shivers increased. The two took shelter in a hidden alcove beneath a wooden doorway in their alleyway, the rain not letting up and both boys suffering from its effects. Without being able to properly dry off Ace was stuck as nothing more than skin and ash, unable to heat either of them nor protect from the cold seeping out of the cold step they sat on.

Luffy's weak voice piped up "What do we do now?"

That was the question wasn't it, what now?

"Well uh" Ace was honestly stumped. Luffy needed clothing, and food humans needed food damn it, and shelter, not to mention a safe place to live and train. Hone his abilities and  grow his confidence. With the proper guidance this kid could change the world, his magik potential wasn't comparable to anything he'd seen in the Land of Living. Luffy needed not only a place where he was safe, but also where he felt safe.

"I've never seen the ocean before" Luffy piped up "I've always wanted to go there"

"Yeah?" right. Powers in perception "Well that's a lot of water, I wouldn't be able to protect you there"

"But you'd look human right?" he poked Ace's arm "you look pretty human right now so no one would think you were a big scary demon"

"You... are right" and other demons wouldn't be able to attack them either, due to the high level of water near them. What would weaken him would also weaken other demons, so they'd all be on the same playing field. Luffy could summon, bind, and entrap demons without there being too much danger of him being hurt.

"And we could live in a nice beach fort" Luffy held up four fingers "three good things right there  mister Ace"

Ace smirked "I'm not sure if you literally read my mind or you're just really bad at counting junior" he hugged him a little closer "I'm thinking both"

"So we could live on a beach? In a fort?"

"I'm thinking a cabana. Nice little beach house, maybe outside the North Americas where it's a bit cheaper for something like that"

Luffy nearly jumped at the suggestion "Like Russia?"

"Mmmm" Ace held a fist to his mouth "maybe warmer. Mexico? Or Brazil?"

Luffy slumped "oh ok"

Ace peered over at the sulking boy "Why Russia? It's really not that great, it's cold, lots of crazy cultists, not to mention shitty winter demons. Oh and sunlight, they get like none in the winter. Really the place is _not_ that nice, why out of all the wonderful places in the Land of Living would you want to go there?"

"I dunno" Luffy still sat dejected in Ace's arms "I don't remember"

"You don't," Ace coughed in disbelief and tried again. "you don't remember?"

He nodded "I was too little, I think"

"Ok well take my word for it, Russia sucks"

Luffy only nodded unconvincingly.

While the ocean was a decent idea, Ace had a better one. The Whitebeards out west could hide them, and train Luffy. They'd make sure he knew what he was doing, and not get hurt, while still understanding and appreciating the Land of Magic. Hell they could care for Luffy long after he was gone.

The Whitebeards were a group of magic beings, demons Fae ghosts and even magic bearing humans like Luffy, who studied to better understand and respect the Land of Magic. They often made deals with demons for knowledge, and they could help Luffy understand entrapping demons better.

Luffy was staring at him. Powers of perception. Right.

After a moment, he broke eye contact lying back down into Ace's side "I trust you to take me somewhere safe"

Ace nodded. That's all he could ask for.

\-------

"We can't go anywhere without clothing"

Ace was going to pull his hair out, or murder the child in front of him "Listen I get it, I really do, but just how are we supposed to get clothing?" He stared Luffy down, honestly did the kid even think? "We're both being actively hunted and I'm 'technically'" he air quoted at Luffy, much to Luffy's annoyance "naked, which means I can't go anywhere to get us clothing"

"But we can't go anywhere without clothing!" Luffy shouted, apparently very exasperated with the perfectly reasonable demon "We can't go to the beach without clothing"

Ace threw his arms in the air "Humans don't even _wear_ clothing at the beach"

"Yes they do!" Luffy gestured to the tiny article of clothing he currently wore "They wear swimsuits like this one, and t shirt, and shorts, and flip flops, and they don't go naked!"

With a groan, Ace sat down, face to the sky. It had stopped raining some time ago, when exactly Ace wasn't sure, but with the return of a more or less dry sky came the return of the now very old argument that Ace was completely done with.

Luffy had a point. They needed clothing, but they had no way to get any. They couldn't go anywhere without clothing, but that included clothing stores themselves. Of course there were many laundry lines in the area, and many wouldn't notice a pair of jeans missing, or a long shirt....

"We're not _stealing_ anything" Luffy huffed, his arms crossed and an adorable pout on his face "Grandpa says that's _wrong"_

Ace looked left, then right, a cheeky grin already encompassing his face "well Grandpa's not here is he?" Before Luffy could interrupt, Ace continued, "hear me out, just a pair of jeans for you, a rain coat for me. A missing pair of rubber boots off a back porch..." Ace trailed off, looking at Luffy expectantly who seemed to be considering it "Look all I'm saying is, we snatch not in excess, not all from one person, and no one is any the wiser and we can go on our merry way to the beach away from all the craziness"

Much to Ace's surprise, Luffy actually seemed to be considering it. Maybe it was because every passing siren still made him flinch, maybe it was the cold shivers racking his body, but Luffy seemed to be a little more open to the idea than he would have been in more ideal circumstances.

"Do you th-think" and now's Luffy's teeth were chattering, making Ace's non-existent heart clench in sadness "we could just b-borrow from th-them and p-pay them back later?"

Ace smiled sadly "yeah of course, later, when we have the means to do so"

Which they would probably never have, but Luffy didn't need to know that. Whatever helped the cold shivering boy sleep at night.

Luffy pouted, "You're lying"

Ace dragged his hands down his face with a groan of frustration "I'm never gonna be able to lie to you. Ever"

Luffy hugged himself closer and seemed about to respond when suddenly his head shot to the end of the alley. Immediately Ace stood up, spying a figure standing near the end.

"Behind me" he shoved Luffy quickly, who climbed onto a garbage bin with wide eyes and shaking hands. Ace shouted, "Move along buddy, We're not looking for trouble"

"Oh really?" He seemed normal, average looking, but tribal tattoos that set Ace's hair on edge peeked out from under his jean jacket. Wooden beads of various colours in bracelets, necklaces, and earrings adorned his body and Ace got into a fighting stance, fight apart and fists raised. Luffy tensed as the stranger moved closer "A demon breaks out from the Other Side, kidnaps an eleven year old child, and I suppose he doesn't want trouble"

Ace didn't like this at all. Everything about the stranger set him on edge, from his tattoos to his beads to his aura of powerful magic. As the stranger continued to advance Ace shouted at him "Yeah well if you know all that you know to get the fuck out of here, little boys who don’t know what they’re getting into shouldn’t mess around with demons."

Ace felt like he'd made a big mistake when the stranger smirked "Well it's a good thing I do" and suddenly Luffy was yelling and Ace was drenched in water and the blond stranger lunged for him.

_It's fine if you don't agree_

_But I would fight for you if you would fight for me_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No warnings this chapter! Just good o'l fashion bonding :,) Fun fact, I didn't name this story until 2 weeks before I started posting because I honestly couldn't think of a name. A few of the prospective names were Could You Hold My Hand? and Fight For Me so it was nice to give a little nod to both in this chapter. Feel to review and let me know what you think, do you like the first Ace pov chapter? Are you happy to see how things are going?  
> Have a good day everyone :)


	4. Ready Aim Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess whose back, it's me with Chapter 4! Warnings at the bottom, and this story is cross posted on Fanfiction.net as Zoewinter1

When he was ten years old everything changed.

He groaned in annoyance, ducking into a store (a nice little bakery with a few customers milling around, looking at pastries, and  paying him no mind) to avoid another few policemen walking quickly and lightly relaying messages over their hand held radios. Every few seconds one of them would do quick sweep of the area before returning to their radio.

He pretended to be very interested in the blueberry swirl cupcakes in the display case while the policemen passed, ignoring the odd look he received from the young woman behind the counter. He ended up purchasing one, to justify his sudden dip into the bakery without standing out, and left the cashier with a polite "thank you" and a 2$ tip.

He knew his permanent enchanting tattoos stood out, he knew his behaviour was odd, and he knew he was socially inept . He did his best to avoid interacting with anyone  as he walked down the streets, eyes peeled for anything unusual, or more police officers. Neither of those were good news for him.

The cupcake was pretty good , if a bit stale from sitting in the display case for too long, but he did finish it in the end. He licked his lips as he deposited the decorative wrapper in a garbage can as he passed. He took  a quick  peek inside, but saw  only usual trash for a small town of its kind, and kept moving.

This was not turning out to be as easy a venture as he'd originally thought. This demon in particular was apparently very good at hiding, and not moving, which made  his own average tracking skills useless. There was nothing to track if the damn thing didn't move anywhere or leave any trails to track.

He groaned in frustration, and he'd told her it'd be easy.  

_She crossed her arms, glowering at him from her spot on his meager bed "You should bring me with you. For support, to get me out of here, for my wonderful company on a ridiculously far away mission which you intend to spend alone!"_

_He chuckled at her antics, going back and forth from his shelves and his bag packing away the various shirts and scrolls he'd need for the journey. He reached overhead for the just-out-of-reach pegs holding his precious red magik beads, stretching his fingers upwards with frustration "You're still injured from the last journey, and this is a routine banishment. Take the time to rest you know you need, and you can come on the next one" He jumped, successfully snatching his prize off the peggs before turning to smirk at her "It'll be much more fun"_

_She rubbed the bandages covering the burns on the upper portion of her left arm with a pout. It'd been an accident, a stupid one that they'd promised not to repeat. Dragon was always emphasizing how important it was not to underestimate demons, and now Koala was on bed rest until she had recovered It was a  necessity, but also a punishment for her mistake._

_She brushed her orange hair behind her ear with a humph, to which Sabo rolled his eyes. She knew she was being unreasonable, which made it all the more better._

_"Don't worry" he tied his bag shut. "I'll be back before you know it"_

Sabo cursed his choice of words now, this mission proving much more frustrating than he'd anticipated. Koala was the better tracker of the two of them, she'd have been able to find some sign of where it was had she been here. As it was she was lounging around back at base, probably raising hell and annoying Dragon to the point of murder about not being allowed to go on any missions. He laughed under his breath at the thought of Dragon strangling her to keep her quiet.

His leaders had received word from their informants posted here of a demon attack on a government facility only a few hours after it occurred. The facility was a strange one, surrounded by forest and usually avoiding contact with the outside world. The nearest town was the one he currently searched, a population of less than 10,000 and 2 hours away on foot. The staff lived on site, including a hefty amount of guards for a power research station.  For the most apart this entire area stayed under the radar, and the revolutionaries and their world protecting demon banishing ways hadn't had any reason to truly investigate the Kaigun's actions.

Now though, a demon attack, which wouldn't have been so suspicious to Sabo, except Dragon had known about it _immediately_. Dragon had reason to suspect the lab of something, something he hadn't told anyone else about (well maybe Ivankov, but despite Ivankov's endearing insanity they tended to know everything already anyways) Dragon had many eyes watching this facility.

And then there was the matter of the kidnapping, which just made the whole thing more complicated than it needed to be, in Sabo's opinion. Stupid people who thought they knew what they were doing summoned, and lost control of, demons all the time. Really, dispatching them was more annoying than difficult most of the time. But demons didn't usually pop up in government bases and kidnap eleven year olds.

So, as Sabo later discovered, this was not as routine as he'd hoped. Not to mention this demon was really good at staying put. Sabo groaned in annoyance when he realized if he didn't find anything soon he'd be forced to go to the damned facility and actually track the demon's path to wherever it'd ended up.

He was on the lower side of town now, filled with factories and shadier residential areas mostly. Here and there kids ran around the alleyways, tripping and getting back without a pause as kids often did, but most of the populace was inside hiding out from the torrential downpour.

He growled, pulling his jean jacket over his blond hair, missing his robes with frivolous enchantments such as heating and rain protection. As it was those had to be left in his bag lest he stand out too much. Jean jacket over jeans it was.

He was about to give up when he heard voices echoing from an alleyway. He peered down the one nearest him, situated between some trailers with laundry strung up and a brick wall factory. A few kids kicked a ball around and danced in puddles, but neither were the source of the voices. Picking up his pace he looked around the corner to where an adult man seemed to have calmed down, and was gently talking to the boy. He could have passed it off as normal if the kid wasn't wearing only a swimsuit, which caught his attention, and the man was naked.

The man was dirty, naked, and had no genitalia.

"Fuckin A" he whispered, dropping into a crouch to rifle through his bag. He pulled his beads out, making sure his red magik beads were wound several times around his neck. He grabbed his pure white beads out, for mild protection against blunt attacks, and several other strands of pine, cedar, and even willow beads. Finally he grabbed the most important part of this attack, the stupid life saving water gun.

It was dumb, Sabo hated it, Koala hated it, practically every other agent hated it, but none of them could deny that it worked in a pinch. In a fit to look just a little bit cooler when they were young and cared about things like that, Sabo and Koala had painted over their bright orange and blue water guns with black paint. Their argument was that is blended in better, so Dragon allowed it. It still held the same dorky shape of a water gun, really it was easily recognizable, but he still took a little comfort that he wasn't going in with something that looked like he'd just been shopping in the beach section of a dollar store.

He inhaled, exhaled, clutched the precious arbutus beads for luck, which Ivankov had given as a gift when he first joined. He  tucked his water gun into the waistband of his back belt and slowly raised from his crouch. Luck, and water, on his side he walked into the alleyway to confront the horrific demon that kidnapped the innocent child.

\-----

Ace knew he'd fucked up when the stranger pulled out the water gun.

He knew he was double fucked when he got soaked, again, and the man lunged for him with a staff.

Triple fucked only arrived once he realized the stranger was not a normal dumb human but a demon hunter, with enchanted beads, enchanted staff, and motherfucking enchanted tattoos.

So it was a small understatement to say the introduction of the hunter's staff to Ace's face hurt. He heard more than he felt the crack of the butt end hitting his face, but he certainly felt it after falling to the concrete and scraping his elbows. How ironic the only description coming to mind was "on fire".

Thankfully he heard the swing of the staff coming this time and managed to grab it, twisting to pull its wielder closer, and himself back to his feet with a snarl. The attacker was absolutely covered in enchanted beads, ones of wood, ones reeking of blood and magik. This man was a killer. Ace growled, "You fucking maniac, think you can dress yourself up in some enchanted jewellery and take on a demon? Fuck you"

He twisted again trying to gain control of the staff but only managed to throw it out of either of their reaches. The blonde wasted no time swinging an elbow into Ace's injured cheek "I'll have you know you're not the first demon to fight me" Ace let out a pained yell, clutching his face "and you won't be the last" He swung again for twice injured spot, but Ace managed to duck the attack, tackling him to the ground.

Ace was exhausted, the water ensured that. He couldn't quite reach his fire, it was there waiting for him, but the absurd amount of times he'd been soaked left him shaking. His cheek throbbed; his elbows leaked a thick black sludge from the scrapes from his body's weak attempts at healing itself. Ace shouted "Who sent you?" before managing to land a fist on the other's nose. The blonde chose not answer, instead shoving Ace off who continued to shout questions at him "where are you from?" He rolled, coming into a low squat.

The other man winced, still ignoring his questions and wiping some blood away from his unbroken nose. It continued dripping, to Ace's delight, which meant he'd actually managed to do some damage. The bleeding man growled "that's none of your business, _demon_ " and pushed himself back up to his feet, eyes searching the ground for the enchanted staff.

Ace lunged with a kick before he could recover, sending the other off balance and stumbling back. Ace prepared to follow up with a punch when he heard a quiet whimper behind him. Whipping around he saw Luffy shaking, lip trembling and eyes watering. The boy held his hands together against his chest with shoulders hunched, backing away from the fight before him. Ace's heart sunk at Luffy's wide eyes, Luffy was _scared_ , it was _his_ duty to protect Luffy and currently he was failing.

Ace realized with a start it didn't matter where this man came from, or who sent him. He meant to take Luffy away, back to the people who tortured him day in and day out for years, who didn't give a single damn for his well being beyond his usage as a human power source.

Only at the last second did Ace realize the hunter had found his staff and was swinging it once again at his face. He dodged, albeit not fast enough and it impacted his shoulder with a crack. Learning from his mistakes the hunter pulled back before Ace could grab the staff, jumping back then towards Ace once again. With a grimace he managed to block the swing this time without jarring his bones.

Far behind him he heard Luffy climbing onto a dumpster, still sniffling and crying. With the hunter pushing down on the staff, his face was getting incredibly close to Ace's. With the distance this close he spat out "If you think I'll let you touch him, you're dead wrong. You'll take him back over my dead body"

The blonde leaned in even closer, snarling "Gladly"

For a moment they only glared at each other before leaping apart, Ace landing in front of Luffy's dumpster, the stranger several meters in front of him. They paused for the briefest of seconds before launching at each other, staff clashing with fists, fingers nails raking down arms, injuries drawing blood and black ichor. They'd clash, kick, punch, and claw while snarling insults before leaping apart again, re-evaluating the other for new weaknesses or exposed old ones.

Ace's heart ached every time he heard Luffy cower and whimper atop the dumpster. A few unlucky times he'd been thrown into the walls of the container, making Luffy jump with fright. He hated scaring Luffy so bad and was avoiding more tosses to the best of his abilities, not to mention how badly it hurt.

However the stranger wasn't without his own injuries. His nose had stopped bleeding but hadn't had the chance to properly wipe all the blood away, which painted a grotesque image across his face and shirt. Ace had also gotten a good hit to the man's forehead where a pretty goose egg was developing nicely, and had even split the other's lip. Unfortunately Ace had his own injuries to contend with, besides the bruised cheek that had been hit _several_ times he also had a developing black eye to deal with, and the fucking human had gotten his nails in deep on the side of his neck, so he had even more black ichor leaking out of his body to deal with.

He'd done a good job of concealing it, but the more they fought the more he dried off. The rain had long stopped and slowly but surely he felt not only his energy returning, but his fire as well. Not yet, not quite, but it was _very_ close. He deserved a medal just for keeping the shit-eating grin off his face imagining the hunter's expression when he suddenly burst into flames.

No doubt he was unprepared for a demon of his caliber, Ace _was_ the most powerful fire demon in existence.

He went low, aiming a kick at the hunter who easily deflected and returned his own strike, which was dodged. Back and forth it almost felt like a game now, they were so evenly matched in technique and experience alone that neither gave any ground up. The stranger was no closer to getting to Luffy than he was being defeated. They leapt apart, eyeing the other with keen interest. One slip up was all it would take for the other to quickly take advantage, and it was sure they would not give up the ground earned.

Unfortunately for the hunter Ace knew the advantage would be his. He grinned ear to ear as he felt the ash melting and dripping away, heat rising from his core. His opposite's eyes widened with obvious confusion and terror, to Ace's delight. He exhaled a deep breath, releasing any moisture left in his body. He felt skin and muscle be replaced with pure flame and energy, growing in size. His eyes and mouth receded away, face dissolving until he was nothing more than a four-legged shape made entirely of flame.

He didn't always take this form; it was his most extreme of forms, for battle and intimidation only. It used great amount of energy but oh was the pay off worth it. The power surging through him took him to an entire new level of battle ready, the human nothing more than an annoyance now.

With a fierce and proud roar he lunged for the human, who was frozen in terror. 

\------

Rule number 1 of demon banishment was to never underestimate your opponent.

Rule number 2 of demon banishment was to always identify what _exactly_ you were fighting.

Sabo had thought he'd done that. He honest to god, god strike him dead, thought he'd followed those rules to a T. He'd seen the demon, and spent plenty time approaching and talking it up to study it. He'd assumed (incorrectly, damn it all that might cost him his life) it'd been some form of mud or sludge demon, maybe a sand demon. It was just standing there, all gangly limbs and covered in some sort of dirty substance (soot, ash, he cursed his wretched mind for only realizing now that in the earlier downpour and his own attack the demon had been soaked and reduced to its weakest state. He was loathe to admit it had matched him even then) when they'd fought and the thing hadn't used his powers he'd just thought it was too weak to do so on This Side.

Rule number 1: never underestimate your opponent which means identifying it's power level and applying the correct amount of force in retribution. Enough to subdue it, not enough to completely wipe yourself in case there are more in the area. The demon had attacked, it hadn't used any special abilities, Sabo had applied apt amounts of force to wear it down and eventually defeat it.

Rule number 2: correctly identify what you're fighting. Failure to do so can result in unexpected nasty surprises (like the one he was facing right now, Damn it Sabo you're gonna die alone in a nasty alley way and chances are they'll never figure out what happened to you. You'll go down in the records as missing in action and you're only legacy will be scorch mark on a wall in the middle of nowhere) He'd thought for certain it was some form of mud or sand demon, covered in grime as he was. In this situation his ultimate fuck up was failing to remember the rain that'd left him already soaked in the first place and misidentifying the demon.

Although to be fair, he thought to himself staring down the giant monster of fire, no one had mentioned anything about fire. Hell, no one had mentioned anything about fire _ever_ in his entire time with the revolutionaries. Fire demons were thought to be extinct at this point, the newest record of one was from nearly 20 years ago.

But clearly this one, fires burning brightly with what was most likely glee, had not gotten the message that he was _extinct_. He didn't know what to do, and as of now was actively breaking the third rule of demon banishment.

Don't panic, think clearly, and think a way out. Fast.

He couldn't, not faced with this beast of a demon straight out of legends and demon hunter campfire stories told eagerly to new recruits to scare them into memorizing the rules, never underestimate your opponent.  Never underestimate your opponent. Never underestimate your opponent.

Koala was on bed rest for forgetting that rule, something told Sabo he'd be lucky if bed rest was all he’d get for this fuck up.   

The beast roared and lunged, and Sabo was frozen. It soared through the air right at him, and he was frozen. Something inside him acknowledged that he was about to die.

_"You should bring me with you. For support, to get me out of here, for my wonderful company on a ridiculously far away mission which you intend to spend alone!"_

Would this have ended any differently had she been here? Or was this demon too powerful for even the two of them. Would they have defeated it before it unlocked its full potential, or would Koala being here only have secured her death as well?

_"You're still injured from the last journey, and this is a routine banishment. Take the time to rest you know you need, and you can come on the next one" He turned to smirk at her "It'll be much more fun"_

He'd thought maybe the two of them could have gone cult busting once he was back, some good natured fun to celebrate her recovery while nailing some demon worshippers. Would Koala still fight and have fun without him there? He hoped so. He hoped she continued on, in his memory at the very least, but also because she was one of the most skilled and determined fighters they had. He didn't want her giving up on his account.

_"Don't worry" he tied his bag shut "I'll be back before you know it"_

Sabo cursed his choice of words now

For a precious wonderful moment nothing registered to Sabo. He felt calm; he felt at peace, he felt like he was falling. At that moment he knew that if this was what death felt like, he could accept it and move on.

Unfortunately life has a way of fucking with everything for you and reality likes to catch up at the worst of times. His back collided with the pavement, knocking the wind out of him, and then he felt his face.

His face must have been on fire, for certainly that was the only thing that could cause such an excruciating pain. It felt like he was melting , like thousands of knives had managed to dig under his skin for the express purpose of peeling away his skin to expose, and destroy, every last nerve. The horrible burning spread all across the left side of his face, from the bridge of his nose to well past his ear, all the way down to neck and shoulder. Distantly he smelled cooked pork.

He scrambled back on his ass in terror, one hand in the air to block any incoming attacks; the other reaching behind him for his staff. His heart pounded in fear, he couldn't see anything, not in front nor behind him. He certainly felt the heat from the fire demon, it was very close to him, but his panic and pain clouded him from seeing anything of use.

He'd hoped it was going to be quick. He didn't want to die, but he absolutely did not want to die like this. Perhaps he'd have a larger legacy than a scorch mark, perhaps a blood splatter as well. He was going to die alone, tortured in front of a little innocent boy who'd be forever traumatized.

Everything stopped once he remembered the little boy.

He was here for him, the boy who'd been kidnapped from his home by this demon of fire. Oh lord there was little chance for his rescue now. What would happen to him if Sabo fell here? Would they ever manage to even track this elusive demon down again? Was Sabo this little boy's last chance at life?

His reaching fingers wrapped around his staff and he groaned. He was in pain, so much pain, but he couldn't fall here, not when there was a young innocent life depending on him to be brought home. That boy was barely older than he was when everything changed.

He was ten years old when everything changed.

With a pained groan, and the amused gaze of the fire demon not leaving him, he pulled himself to his feet using his staff to support his weight. He could barely stand; his legs shook so badly with pain and everything in him screamed to lie down and accept a far less painful death than the one he was gunning for.

He was 9 and a half when his parents discovered an interest in demons.

With the demon laughing in front of him now he added another piece of evidence to a very damaging collection he'd started years ago: not all demons laughed the same, but they all laughed for the same reasons.

The third demon his parents summoned, when he was ten and three months, had laughed a sharp clicking laugh as he stepped over their carefully drawn runes and delicately placed salt lines. He kept laughing as he ripped them apart, as he drowned the room in their blood, and as he ate their souls.

Sabo had watched it all happen from the crack in the doorway over the stairs down to the basement. Stelly had watched too, the curious mind of an 8 year old wanting to be just like his older brother and watch the secret business of his parents. Of course neither of them had realizes anything was wrong until the demon was ripping them apart, Stelly had run off to call the police but Sabo had watched frozen as it devoured their very souls.

It was so grotesque and strange. The soul was everything a person ever was and ever would be. Their personalities, their memories, their impact on the world around them was all in this little ball of light. Watching it be extinguished probably impacted him worse than watching his parent's actual deaths.

It was why survived, but he'd still forever regret it. Sabo ran. Away from the door, past his brother distracted by the police on the phone, out the front door and into the streets. He didn't stop running even when his heart felt like it'd explode, when his legs began to feel like jelly, or even when his feet began to bleed. The police found him 5 kilometers away, still running on bleeding feet.

He was hospitalized due to how badly he'd pushed himself, but he was the only one of his family to survive. Dragon found him in the hospital that very day, traumatized beyond words. Dragon took him in and gave Sabo a new purpose: to protect people like himself from ever having to experience the horror he'd faced.

To protect people like the boy cowering on the dumpster, clutching his hands and shivering in a tiny bathing suit. People didn't choose the war on demons, the demons dragged them screaming into it. Maybe he could give this boy a purpose as well.

He tightened his grip on his staff, gritting his teeth. He couldn't even lift it off the ground lest he lose his support, but he wouldn't roll over and die. He'd fight until he didn't have an ounce of energy left. The war on demons dragged him in kicking and screaming, and that's how he'd go to.

 _Run!_ he willed the staring boy on the dumpster _start running and don't stop! Don't turn around, and don't you dare look at what's about to happen._

The demon loomed over him, what must have been a grin stretching across something counting for a face. Sabo wasn't getting out of this one alive, but that was okay, maybe he could save just one life. Dying wouldn't be so bad if he had a purpose as well.

"Foolish, even for a human" the demon crackled, and although the two were nothing alike he was reminded of the cracking laugh of a demon stepping over salt lines and rune markings on a basement floor.

His arms shook with the effort it took just to keep himself from falling to the ground. His older injuries still bled, dripping slowly down his face onto the concrete below. His breathing was too fast, too heavy, but everything burned just so much.

He nearly fell when he lifted one of his hands to wipe some blood out from under his nose, but managed to support himself with just the one arm "I'm not... going to fall here" He stumbled and grabbed the supporting staff with both hands again "I'm going to fight you today, and I'll fight you tomorrow if that's what it takes. I'll fight you the next day, and the next day, because I will not fall here"

The demon crackled in amusement, leaning in closer "I have defeated enemies far stronger than you. You may think yourself powerful with hokey runic tattoos and stolen magik, but never forget you are nothing more than a mere mortal soul"

A demon stepping over salt lines as if they were nothing. The screams and silence of souls forever lost to insatiable hunger.

"I am a mortal" he spat out. He didn't have a plan, he was stalling, but for every second he stood he weakened even more as his face only burned more, his legs threatening to give out. He wanted to collapse and lie down. He wanted to die. He didn't want to die "I am a mortal" he repeated "but do not forget there is nothing mere about me."

Gathering every ounce of strength he had he swung his staff in an upwards arc, cracking as it connected with whatever counted for a solid body inside the swirling mass of fire. For the tiniest of moments he felt elated, but before he could even collapse without the support of the staff the demon roared, and swung a giant arm into his torso. He lost all breath inside him as he was burnt, and flung down the alley towards the dumpster.

He coughed desperately to rid himself of feeling like he'd lost all oxygen. The demon was angry now and Sabo knew this was it but he couldn't find it in himself to regret anything.  He went down, he went down hard, but he went down making a difference. Maybe Koala would find this thing and dispatch it for him, maybe the boy would join the revolutionary army and because the next great hunter. Sabo would leave, but his legacy would remain.

The demon roared in rage and began marching up to him, he lay on his chest and couldn't even bring himself to prop his head on his elbows. This was it, nothing stood between him and the raging being of fire except-

Except the little boy. The little boy who'd sat cowering on the dumpster in fear the entire battle now stood between him and 12 feet of fire and rage, arms spread wide in defiance "Ace, that's _enough_!"

And much to Sabo's shock, the demon stopped. For several agonizing moments that could have been centuries, the two stared each other down. Finally the fire dissipated leaving behind the more humanoid figure Sabo had seen earlier, same wavy black hair and freckles so innocently out of place Sabo wanted to laugh, only where there'd been ash there were now embers and sparks dancing across his skin, flames covering where a human would have had genitalia (and if the rumours were to be believed, the demon had none).

With a grunt of annoyance, the demon turned and hopped onto the boy's previous spot atop the dumpster in a low crouch, not taking his eyes off Sabo for a second.

While he would have loved to return the staring contest, Sabo decided the dangers of falling asleep didn't outweigh the benefits of escaping this insane situation, and proceeded to pass the fuck out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter: Graphic fight, graphic description of burns, mentioned parental and sibling deaths  
> Here's chapter 4 with the introduction of our last main character, being a dramatic little shit as usual. I don't know if things feel slow to you guys, but I promise you things will pick up soon! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, see you on the seventh


	5. Fuck You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're all excited for chapter 5! This chapter is a little calmer than the last, but I promise you this story isn't slowing down anytime soon. As per usual this chapter is cross posted on Fanfiction under the same name, you can yell at me on tumblr (fanatic-author) and warnings are at the bottom

After a little bit searching, a lot grumbling from Ace and some extensive poking around, Luffy managed to find the bag holding the strange man's supplies and travel things. It hadn't been all that interesting, some deodorant and tooth paste, a few pairs of "normal" clothes that Ace scoffed at, and several doodled on map books of the area, plus a few nearby surrounding towns. Ace had snatched them right away to see if he could find a way to the ocean, or wherever he was actually taking him.

It might not have been the ocean, but Luffy trusted Ace to keep him safe from dangers. He just didn't think the stranger who scared them counted as a danger, even if Ace disagreed with him. While Ace poured over maps, mumbling and turning them around, tilting his head, Luffy dug deeper in the bag of mysteries and adventure.

The bag was important to the resting adventurer, who had fallen asleep after Luffy stopped the fight, but he would wake up. His bag held all sorts of wonders, including some strange robes that the adventurer would be more comfortable in. It was only at the bottom that Luffy finally reached what he was looking for: a first aid kit.

It was small and dinky, but inside it had some Band-Aids and burn creams that would probably help Mister Adventurer feel better once he woke up. Ace's fire looked like normal fire, and normal fire hurt a lot Luffy knew, because Grandpa (and someone else, someone far away) made sure he never played with fire. He lugged the healing kit to where the warrior slept.

It'd been surprising for Luffy to see Ace in his beast form again. He'd only seen it once before when he'd fought Him. He'd been happy because the stranger scared him. The stranger wanted to hurt Ace, wanted to take him back to the scientists, and was willing to fight and hurt Ace to do it. The stranger wanted to send Ace back.

But when Ace had transformed, the man had been scared and that didn't feel right. It was like a giant cavern had suddenly opened up in Luffy's chest and he couldn't breathe right. It wasn't like seeing a spider on the wall, or even facing down Him on the Other Side, it was like suddenly being unable to feel anything at all. Like space and time stopped existing and the only thing left was the knowledge that nothing else mattered.

Ace's fist hitting the petrified man in the face had shook Luffy from the connection and it'd taken him awhile to recover. That level of fear and desperation had been so powerful, he didn't know what to do or what to think.

That was always the worst, not being sure what was him and what was others. He liked being happy when others were happy, but more often he felt it more strongly when others were sad, or scared, or angry, and Luffy didn't like those bits at all. He didn't like not knowing if he was actually scared or angry, or if he was just reacting to what others were feeling.

But while the man was recovering, he shifted. He was determined, he was sad, he was _protective_ and it hit Luffy like a rollercoaster that the man wanted to protect _him_. Luffy was still scared, still recovering from the shock of the other man's fear, but he was also confused. This other man wanted to protect him, but so did Ace. They were fighting each other to do the exact same thing and he didn't know how to stop them.

Further back in the alley, Ace cursed naughty words while fumbling with the map. If the scent of smoke was any indication, Ace couldn't stop burning the paper maps now that he was in his normal form covered in fire and embers. Luffy crouched next the sleeping body, chest still rising and falling steady albeit with a slight wheeze. As gently as an eleven year old could (read: not very) Luffy rolled him onto his back to reach his chest and face where most of the burns were.

It wasn't a pretty sight. A creeping tendril reached across the bridge of his nose, but the largest portion of unbroken burn covered his left eye and spread into his hair (It'd been on fire, Luffy remembered, but not anymore) which revealed a large chunk of burnt scalp. It spread down, jacket burnt away to a crisp, over his shoulder and neck, and onto his chest. The whole thing was an angry red, blistering and peeling, pus and blood slowly leaking out.

It smelt like cooked pork.

It was Luffy's gagging that finally caught Ace's attention. The demon rushed over, pulling Luffy away from the body hushing him; "Hey, hey you don't need to see that. Why don't you help me with the maps? I just can't get them right."

Luffy shook his head, tears escaping without his consent.

"He's gonna hurt a lot when he wakes up." He wanted to help him, was what he meant to say, but he could only hope Ace understood. His tongue still felt thick in his mouth and something solid was lodged in his throat, wanting escape but not quite gaining it.

"Uh, yeah he's gonna hurt a lot." Ace huffed. "That's kinda the point."

More than anything, Luffy was disappointed. "But he's gonna help us, so we need to help him first. He's hurting."

Ace frowned.

"Kid, I sincerely hope you didn't miss the part where I did that to him. Well, I mean," he fumbled. "It'd be great if you didn't see it, so I'm telling you now I was the one who did that, mystery solved, let's call him some human healers or something and leave it 'cause, uh," He glanced at the burnt, wheezing man laying several meters away. "After that, he sure as hell won't be helping us."

Luffy took one last gasp of clean air before ducking out of Ace's grip and returning to the blond's side.

"No, he's gonna help us, so we gotta help him." Luffy began pulling out things that looked like they'd help; creams and wipes, and a few bandages.

Ace followed warily.

"Is this one of those 'powers of perception' things?" He rubbed his face with a groan of annoyance "Who am I kidding, of course it is." He kneeled next to Luffy. "So, what do we do?"

Luffy scrunched his face. "We help him!"

"No, I mean how do we-" Ace trailed off, staring back at Luffy who watched him expectantly. "Kid, I probably know less than you on how to fix this."

Luffy gave him the bandages.

"You're gonna like him." He began spreading some disinfectant cream on the burns, and every power in the universe conspired to keep Sabo unconscious for the process. After wiping out dirt and grime with alcohol wipes (the doctors always did that first if he scraped his knees, they said it kept bad stuff out) Luffy moved on to the burn creams, because Sabo was burnt right?

After an array of creams had been spread over the burnt patches, Luffy looked at Ace expectantly who still held the bandages Luffy had handed to him.

"What?" Ace pointed to himself. "Kid, I am way more likely to make those burns a hell of a lot of worse before I make them better. In case you forgot, the evidence is directly in front of your face, but-" he moved his still flaming and flickering arm back and forth in front of Luffy's face. "I'm still very much burny burny and he," he pointed to the grimacing unconscious blond. "Is very much already burnt."

"But, I don't know what to do. Grandpa and the doctors always did this part for me." Luffy argued.

"They did this." Ace's eyes widened. "They did this for you? So, you've been hurt like this before?"

"Mmmmm," Luffy refused to look into Ace's eyes lest he discover the truth, as adults were prone to do when he tried to lie. Ace was worried. He didn't want Ace to worry. "Only a little."

"A little." Ace's voice had that tone most adults had when they knew he wasn't being entirely truthful. Luffy wouldn't look anywhere near him, his method of hiding wasn't working very well. "How much is a little?"

"Only a little." Luffy replied with a huff. He didn't like the gnawing in Ace's chest, the concern and anger flickering in there. It wasn't a big deal really. It only happened when he was little, when accidents happened. He hadn't had an accident in a long time.

Ace looked ready to reply before a groan caught them both off guard, heads whipping to the blinking, squinting, very awake blond.

\----

The first thing he thought was that Koala had taken her pranks a little far this time, if the pain in his face was anything to go by.

The next thing he thought was he couldn't believe he wasn't dead. Again. Had he not been  in incredible amounts of pain he would have shot straight up in panic. As it was, all he could manage was a low groan, and a mumble of something that might have been, "End my suffering."

Sabo was no stranger to close calls with death. Hell, death had shown up at his house with a shotgun and cookies when he was 10, and it was only a matter of time until he stopped managing to dodge. Honestly, it was getting a bit ridiculous at this point. Maybe Death should just bite the bullet and hire a hitman.

Of course this stupid situation was probably as close as he'd ever gotten to death itself - twice in a row - which was not comforting in the slightest. But alas, Death could suck it. They'd missed again.

"Mister Adventurer, Sir?"

A shot of adrenaline from hearing the voice had him nearly jumping, but burns hurt like a bitch and all he could manage was a slow open of his eye. Eye, singular. His left eye wouldn't open.

Above him peered the little boy, whose hands looked to be covered in cream? A sore throbbing on his shoulder and chest kindly reminded him of his burns, which the kid had apparently had the foresight to apply cream to. How kind. Next to the little boy sat the fire demon, angry human form and all, holding some slightly charred looking bandages.

Sabo squinted at the unusual scene. "I'm gonna ask anyway, am I dead?" He certainly hoped not, because if so, death hurt a lot more than he'd hoped.

The boy cheerfully laughed. "Nope!"

Although Sabo could swear he heard the demon mumble, _"Did my best."_

He didn't know what to say, staring at this kid who was grinning widely with tear tracks still visible on his dirty cheeks and hands covered in the best attempt an eleven year old could give at healing and helping. Of course he couldn't forget the angry demon mumbling off to the side, who was still a very real danger to him and the kid, although there was probably nothing he could do if the demon turned against them now.

Which begged the question, why wasn't he?

He cocked an eyebrow at the demon, still smoldering away behind the boy. Not a few minutes ago (probably, he wasn't sure how long he'd been out) they'd been trying their very best to remove the other's existence. Now, it almost looked like the demon was going to help him.

The demon huffed. "Quit your pained panting, you dog. This was all the kid's idea, not mine."

He quickly swivelled his gaze to the child, silently demanding an explanation to this situation that was continuously leaving him with more questions piling higher and higher, with answers nowhere in sight.

"Don't worry, Mister Adventurer, Sir!" The boy chirped. "Ace isn't gonna hurt you anymore 'cause I said so, and he's gotta listen to me when he wants to. But he's really really powerful, so no one else will get to hurt you either."

"Wait, uh, hold on." Damn that demon, Sabo really _was_ having a hard time catching his breath. "He listens to you?"

"Yep!" The boy seemed almost excited at the prospect. "'Cause that was part of the deal! He helps me escape and listens to what I say, and I take him to This Side. He even saved me from HIM! So you don't need to worry Mister Adventurer, Sir!"

"M'name's Sabo." he mumbled absently. The way the kid said HIM was ominous enough to grab attention, but he certainly did NOT miss the kid mention that _he was the one to summon the demon_. The most terrifying part wasn't even that an eleven year old successfully summoned and sustained a demon on This Side, but that the demon ACTUALLY listened to him.

Just how powerful was this kid?

"My name's Luffy, nice to meet you!" The kid exclaimed, completely ignorant to Sabo's internal ramblings and panic. "And he's Ace." he gestured to the demon, and all Sabo could think was _what a normal name._ "He's being a grumpy pants right now, but don't worry, you two will like each other." he smiled like he had a particularly funny secret; an inside joke only he was privy to.

Sabo coughed. "Um, hand me the pain killers from the kit? This, yeah, this hurts a lot." he grimaced.

"Oh!" The boy jumped up. "Right! Um, pain killers... pain..." He looked to the demon for support. "Which ones are the pain killers?"

The demon rolled his eyes. "Oh, for the love- you can read can't you? It's..." he picked up bottle after bottle, reading the labels and discarding them back into the bag. "It's, uh..."

"OxyContin" Sabo gasped, still not in control of his pained breathing much to his displeasure. "The one labelled OxyContin, need me to spell it out for you?"

"I literally just asked Luffy if he could read, I promise you I can fucking read." Ace huffed, searching through the bag.

After a few agonizing minutes he finally found the labelled bottle and handed it over. Sabo gratefully accepted, and popped a few pills before sighing. The relief wasn't instant, but it sure as hell would help soon.

He reached his good hand towards the demon. "Give me those."

The demon made an unintelligent noise. "Huh?"

"The bandages." Sabo rolled his eyes. "Give me the bandages so I can get this covered while the cream's still wet."

The roll of bandages landed none too gently in his hand. "Pfft, yeah, better you than me."

"Just 'cause I'm the only one who knows what the fuck he's doing." Sabo mumbled, wincing as he realized he'd need both hands, and his left shoulder shared great disagreement with the movement. Still, he knew his painkillers (and those were good ones) would kick in soon and he'd be fine, if a bit woozy. As desperately as he wanted to wait for them to start working, he needed the bandages on before the dizziness of the OxyContin hit. So with a grunt, he began painfully wrapping his shoulder, arm, and chest in bandages.

\---

Ace glowered, sitting several feet  away from the hunter as Sabo, dutifully applied his own bandages, wincing every now and again as he pulled his burns the wrong the way. The burns Ace had given him.

Ace still didn't trust this Sabo within an inch of his life, but he trusted Luffy (didn't have much a choice really) and Luffy's powers of perception. If Luffy wanted the dumbass for their adventure, then so be it. They had the dumbass.

While Stupid McFuckface handled his injuries, Luffy held the map up for Ace who was trying to figure out their best route to the Whitebeards. Sabo only had one map large enough to include where Ace was pretty sure they were, and where he was fairly certain the Whitebeards still were. It'd been a few years, maybe a decade, since he'd last visited but they were stagnant people.

Unfortunately the one map Sabo had that was large enough was very large indeed, and not very detailed. While Ace was fairly certain he knew what distance they'd need to travel, and the general direction they'd have to go, he couldn't identify individual highways or smaller cities. He couldn't even pinpoint exactly where they were, he wasn't sure if the city he thought they might be in was on the map he was looking at in the first place.

"So," the injured hunter started. "You _didn't_ kidnap the kid?" he asked incredulously. Ace was shocked. It almost sounded like he didn't believe him.

"No, I did not." Ace growled. He was almost entirely certain they were in Washington, or Oregon. The two were so similar honestly, he felt at a complete loss as he tried to locate where their city _might_ be.

"Kid, Luffy." Sabo turned to the eleven year old who made a curious noise at being addressed, holding the map above his head for the grumpy fire demon. "You got lucky this time, but you really, absolutely should under no circumstances summon a demon, no matter how bad your problems may be. There are always better solutions than-"

"HEY." Ace cut him off. "You cut it out Mister I'm-Going-to-Use-a-Water-Gun-as-My-Secret-Weapon. You are the last person who gets to give advice today." Ace peered closer at the map. Shit, maybe they were already in California? That would make things easier.

"And for your _information_ ," He growled "Luffy didn't summon me."

"What?" Sabo paused in his wrappings to stare at Ace. "Repeat that?"

He groaned. "I said Luffy didn't summon me, I found him okay? Happy?"

"Oh, so you-" Ace did _not_ like Sabo's tone of voice. "Killed your summoner and made a deal with a helpless naive kid instead. Wow, you are _such_ a Samaritan. You deserve a medal." Sabo went to applaud, the little shit, but winced at pulling his burns and decided against it.

"I did _no such thing,_ so don't you go assuming anything you want just 'cause you're a high and mighty dumbass on stupid levels of OxyContin, alright? I found the kid on the Other Side, so there!"

There were a few moments where Sabo stared in stunned silence, and Ace realized what he'd just revealed to the hunter.

"...the Other Side? As in THE Other Side, full of demons and where other unimaginable horrors come from?" If Ace hadn't been so mortified at letting the information slip so casually, he would have thought Sabo's bug eyed expression hilarious. "The source of all evil?"

"I wouldn't go that far, I mean, it's not a pleasant place for sure, but I mean..." At Luffy's dead eyed gaze staring him down Ace conceded. "Yeah, it sucks monkey balls and I found him there, decided to follow him back, fight me. Oh, wait," he grinned. "You already did, and lost. How's the painkillers holding up?"

"God, I wish I had some Methadone." Sabo groaned into his hands. "And don't change the subject. Why was he on the Other Side?"

Ace just shrugged with a non-confirmatory noise, looking to Luffy for answers, who lowered the map.

"The scientists wanted to see what op-pore-toon-it-ees the Other Side had." he spelled out opportunities slowly, like he was reciting a quote from someone but wasn't quite sure what it meant. "It's the newest frontier of science and energy."

"And there you have it! _Science._ " Ace was content to let the subject drop, but Sabo only seemed more shocked.

"Th-they were sending you there? On purpose? Wait." he shook his head. "You can visit the Other Side?"

"Mhm." Luffy nodded his head, unperturbed. "Since ever and ever."

"Wow." Sabo mumbled, dropping his head into hands. "Fuck the Methadone, I want Vodka."

"Right, so back to the matter at hand. Where the fuck are we?" Ace gestured to the map, which Luffy helpfully lifted up once more. "'Cause we should probably skip town, like now, before any more cops show up."

"Wait, wait, wait." Sabo lifted his head from hands. "What's your plan? Where are you taking him? God, he's in so much danger if he can do that. They're gonna do anything to get their hands on..." Sabo paused, coming to a startling realization. "The government knows all about the existence of the Other Side, and they're doing nothing to educate the public? To protect the people?"

"Honestly, think about it. That would probably only cause more problems. And to answer your first question, we're going to the beach." Ace declared, before rolling his eyes at Luffy loudly clearing his throat from under the map "Okay, okay, we're going to the Whitebeards."

"THOSE LUNATICS?!?" Ace nearly jumped a foot in the air at Sabo's shout. "Honestly, why on Earth would you ever trust that batch of crazies with Luffy's life? We should take him back to the revolutionaries, they'll protect him from the government _and_ the Other Side."

"Oh, no you don't!" Ace turned to fully face the flabbergasted hunter. "The revolutionaries won't protect him, they'll use him for his abilities. Face it, taking him to your little group of trigger happy morons won't be any better than taking him right back to the lab _I_ saved him from."

Sabo jutted out his chin, trying to match the demon in intimidation from his spot sitting on the floor as he bandaged himself. "Well, it'd still be better than those fanatics! They'd just get him killed summoning some stupid, powerful demon."

"Heh, you mean me?" Ace pointed at himself. "The Whitebeards will help him understand the Other Side, understand his powers, and develop them in a kind and nurturing environment. Seriously," Ace had wistful look. "Those guys are a family, they'd never let anyone hurt him."

"Kind as they may be, they won't teach him about the dangers of the Other Side. He'll just end up summoning a demon stronger and less benevolent than you, all in the name of understanding a plane of reality that spews nothing but torture and death." Sabo snapped.

"Ow," Ace rubbed his heart. "That's my monkey-ball-sucking hometown you're dissing there. You ever been there yourself? Yeah it's dark, and scary, and cold, and smelly, and the residents are all assholes. Especially Teach, fuck that guy, and..." Ace searched for a positive point to counter all the negatives he'd just listed, but came up with none.

"It's quiet." Luffy piped up, lowering the map.

"Thank you." Ace acknowledged "It's very quiet, a great escape from the bustle of your cities."

Sabo rolled his eyes "Yes, all this-" he gestured around him, to silent streets and empty alleys "- bustle."

"Whatever, back to the matter at hand." Ace gave Sabo a dismissive wave, returning to Luffy. "I just need to figure out where the Whitebeards are and then we'll be on our merry way and you can stay behind to lick your wounds clean."

"Oh, no you don't." Sabo almost tried to stand up before deciding it was a bad idea and sat back down. "You don't even know where you're going. Have you ever actually been to This Side before? How long has it been since you visited the Whitebeards?"

"Too long... " Ace mumbled under his breath.

"Exactly." Sabo smugly noted. "I know exactly where, and exactly how to find the revolutionaries while you're still fumbling to figure out which state we're in."

Ace grit his teeth. "I will _not_ subject Luffy to the horrors he's been forced to endure his entire life just because you're uncomfortable with non-humans."

"Oh? So, you suddenly care about Luffy in this situation." Sabo stared at him incredulously. "Then ask him. Luffy, where do you want to go?"

Luffy paused for a moment, seriously considering the offer for his input. Both men fell silent at Luffy's serious expression, genuinely interested in the boy's opinion. Ace internally groaned realizing they'd both been so caught up in besting the other, neither had thought to ask Luffy which he'd prefer from what he heard.

Suddenly, to both their shock and surprise, Luffy took off down the other end of the alley, dropping the map behind him.

"H-Hey!" Ace made to take off after Luffy, but remembered the dumbass who'd be accompanying them and turned to grab the bag and map before facing Sabo. "Need a hand?"

Sabo was half up, on one knee and already panting, holding the wall for support. He stared incredulously at the demon's outstretched hand. "Are you serious?"

"Well, I mean-" he rubbed the back of his neck, mildly embarrassed. "Luffy's decided he likes you and that you'll be journeying with us, so... I mean, he'd probably be a little pissed if I left you behind."

"Heh, probably." He grunted as he took the hand, slinging his good arm across the demon's neck. "What a kid."

Together they hobbled down the alley, looking down turns and off shoots for the boy with no luck. Finally they reached the opposite end of the alley which spat out onto an empty park in the middle of the buildings. Well, empty save for one swimsuit clad boy.

"Oh my god, kill me." Ace was devastated, in their anger and pride not only had they forgotten to ask Luffy what'd he prefer, but they'd forgotten Luffy was just an eleven year old _kid_. He wasn't some power source, or powerful ancient wizard in need of guidance. He was a little kid who wanted to do little kid things.

"Fuck." Sabo hung his head, coming to the same conclusion as Ace. "Only if you kill me first."

"Suicide pact?"

"Deal."

Just then, Luffy ran over to them laughing. The park was empty, the earlier showers still leaving everyone inside where it was warm and dry. More importantly though, it meant a naked demon, a near naked child, and a really fucked up guy could all play without attracting any attention.

"How're your pain killers holding up?" Ace asked with a smirk as Luffy pulled them towards the slide.

"Well, I mean, I still wish I had Methadone, and Vodka, but a little playing won't kill me. Think the police will show up?"

"If they didn't show to our fight, I doubt they'll show now."

They looked to each other with equally hopeless expressions, unable to find any will to resist Luffy's excited smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter: Graphic depictions of injuries (burns)   
> So the boys have all met and aren't getting along in the slightest :) don't worry, Luffy knows things are going to work out so take assurance in that. Also I have a new Beta reader, so let me know if you notice the difference or not? My last one was really hands on and wanted to change almost everything whereas this one changes very little so I guess I'm interested to see if the quality has dropped or not? Also let me know what your thoughts are on this chapter cuz I love hearing from you guys, see you all on the ninth!!


	6. Forbidden Friendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are at Chapter 6! Warnings at the end, along with the AMAZING art by CaptainSway~~~

Sabo had only been able to play for a little while before his injuries forced him to sit out. He watched from a nearby park bench as Ace chased Luffy around the park, purposefully missing (or perhaps not, Luffy was a slippery boy) and growling in a ridiculous voice - nothing like his _real_ roar - that almost made Sabo want to laugh. Almost. He still had his pride, if nothing else, after all.

While the two played, Sabo went through his bag and organized his supplies. The matter of clothing was a real one. His things wouldn't fit Ace's much broader and stockier figure, which meant he'd have to somehow acquire clothing for the two boys. He pulled out his map of the small town they resided in, locating bus depots and clothing stores.

The greatest problem was that they still hadn't agreed on a destination. Sabo could figure out bus routes and dangers to the best of his ability, but without an end goal there was only so much he could do. After a few hours of playing and organizing, Sabo finally ran out of things to do, and so he called over his (temporary) companions.

Luffy groaned half heartedly but still sat obediently at Sabo's feet on the wet grass. Ace grumbled and glowered a bit more, but followed his master and sat as well, lightly charring the grass.

"So, Luffy." Sabo addressed. "Besides the park, where would you like to go?"

"Hmmm." Luffy rubbed his chin. "An ice cream shop?"

The demon chuckled. "Think more long term, like where do you want to live? You heard me and Sabo discussing different places."

"Sabo and I." Sabo smugly corrected, just to see Ace's face turn the funny shade of red when he was particularly frustrated. "Think of where you'd be happiest."

Luffy cocked his head to the side. "Then I want to go to Russia."

"Huh?" Sabo was lost, why would a kid like Luffy, raised in a laboratory his entire life, have an interest in Russia?

Ace groaned. "Not this again. Before you ask, he has no idea why he wants to go there." Ace waved his hand dismissively. "He mentioned it earlier when we were trying to figure out where to go."

Sabo blinked in confusion, then turned his head to Luffy. "Well, it's not totally unreasonable. Some of our best cultists have come from- Shit I mean-"

It was too late. Ace had caught his slip up and cackled in amusement. "Cultists? You literally just called yourself a cultist, holy crap."

Sabo flushed in angry embarrassment. "Some of our members do identify as Cultists, while others like myself prefer the title Banishers, or sometimes Hunters. Cultists are usually the more knowledgeable ones who do less field work. Some of our best have from Russia, so it's no surprise Luffy's drawn there. It's a minefield of supernatural beings and knowledge." Sabo rubbed his chin. "Probably about as dangerous as a minefield though. Not really a good place to go while you're learning Lu."

"My mom's from there." Luffy piped, much to both men's shock. "She was gonna take me there."

Ace gaped at the boy. "I thought you said you didn't remember why you wanted to go there."

"I didn't." Luffy shrugged. "Now I do."

Ace looked ready to pull his own hair out, and Sabo wasn't feeling much better. So, Luffy's mother was from Russia, which meant she likely was a cultist. Had she made some inhuman deal to have Luffy, and that's why he had these powers?

Suddenly a pit dropped into Sabo's stomach and he wanted to throw up. Luffy's gaze met Sabo's directly, probably sensing his distress, but even Ace seemed to have picked up on Sabo's sudden shock. Without explanation, he dug through his bag, throwing carefully organized items left and right in search of what he needed.

After a moment he dug out his cell phone with an _"Aha!"_ that left Luffy and Ace glancing at each other in confusion. Sabo ignored the two of them in favour of flipping through photos of him and Koala dicking around on various missions around the world, and pictures of varying members inside headquarters until he landed on the photo he was searching for.

Even Sabo could admit it was honestly a little ridiculous, and he'd spent over half his life studying and hunting demons, but Ivankov took the cake for weirdest things he'd experienced. They were a drama queen who loved spinning crazy tales, and it was often difficult to tell truth from fiction. It didn't help that they insisted on dying their hair a bright purple, and wearing flawless drag makeup wherever they went. Never could Ivankov be seen without drag makeup, fishnets, and platform boots. Rumor had it they even slept in all that.

Quickly Sabo turned the phone to Luffy's confused gaze. "Luffy, do you recognize this person?"

"Huh?" he tilted his head, not understanding.

"I said," he snapped. "Do you recognize this person?" Sabo was shaking, and not from pain. Ace cast a wary gaze at Luffy, then at Sabo. If Luffy recognized them then that would mean-

"Nope." he stuck his pinky finger in his nose.

"Oh." Sabo's shoulders collapsed, a sigh of either relief or disappointment escaping him. "It's nothing then." he tucked his phone back in the bag, ignoring the missed text from Koala, and replacing all the misplaced items.

"Who was that person?" Luffy inquired without removing his appendage from his nostril. "They looked funny.”

"That's just one of cultists." Sabo sighed. "They're one of our best, but probably craziest too."

"Pfft." Ace scoffed, rolling his eyes. "All cultists are nuts."

"Yeah, well." Sabo conceded. "Ivankov wins that foot race by a mile, trust me."

Ace leaned forward. "So what you're saying is: take the kid to the _cultists_ even you admit are not only _crazy_ but the _craziest_ out there, to teach him about demons and safety." he crossed his arms. "That's some plan."

"Yeah, well your plan," Sabo started, "Is to take him to the demon worshippers you haven't seen in over a decade, whose exact location you aren't even remotely sure of, so he can get himself killed studying the Other Side." Sabo stared him down. "Your plan is no better than mine."

"Then let's go the beach!" Luffy piped up. "'Cause then we can live in a ca-ba-na-na by the ocean and demons will be weak from the water, and Ace can look normal and teach me, and I won't be in danger, and I've never seen the ocean and-" Luffy sucked in a breath of air. "It'd be fun!"

"Cabana." Ace and Sabo corrected at the same, then glaring at the other.

Sabo escaped the staring/glaring contest first. "It's not a bad plan." he conceded. "And it's neither of our original choices which makes it even."

"Yeah, and well with you there." Ace looked away, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "We'd probably be even safer 'cause, you know," he pointed to Luffy and himself. "Half trained demon entrapper and severely weakened demon isn't the best duo."

"Wow." Sabo marveled. "That was almost a compliment, I'm proud of you."

"Aaaand I change my mind. Luffy let me kill him _please._ "

\-----

Sabo honestly wondered what his life had come to. He used to be badass, totally awesome, hunting down demons with Koala by his side and taking no one's shit. He wrangled insane cultists (both ally and enemy) and banished enemies to the Other Side. He was, arguably, one of the best hunters his organization had.

So, of course he found himself wandering a thrift store at a completely unreasonable hour to buy clothing for a psychic child and overpowered demon. Out of his own pocket none the less.

He grumbled to himself as he browsed the shelves of child sized shirts. How old was Luffy? Would any of these fit him or should he just go to the really small adult section? He peered closer to a small blue T-shirt depicting an astronaut fighting an alien. It had a mysterious stain on the colour of the brownish green variety, but it was on sale. Was Luffy a space kid or a dinosaur kid? He moved onto a purple shirt with a friendly ghost on the front, was it out of taste to get the psychic kid a shirt with a ghost?

He decided to grab a few red, green, and yellow shirts of a slightly older kid variety, a few with frogs and bugs, and one with a pirate. Had Luffy had enough of a childhood to even develop normal interests?

He went to a less risky topic of searching, pants, and decided on a few pairs of jeans that bore a few stains but weren't ripped so that was a plus.

He stared warily at the underwear section. Luffy could go without, he wasn't getting _anyone_ used underwear, not even the demon who tried to kill him.

His face, chest, and shoulder all throbbed at once in reminder of the near fatal battle, despite the unhealthy amounts of painkillers inside him to keep him walking without anything looking too amiss.

Luffy and Ace were still naked, and so they waited outside while Sabo purchased them clothing after he refused to condone stealing from people who probably couldn't afford to get their missing items replaced. Had he known that would mean shopping for them, he may have refused.

He grabbed a pair of yellow rubber boots that would probably fit Luffy, when he spotted something green out of the corner of his eye. It was small, and upon closer inspection a nice lime green raincoat that would be a bit big on Luffy but still function. It was only when he picked it up that he noticed the frog face on the hood.

_Yes._

Giggling to himself he added it to the basket, and then found himself with the unpleasant task of shopping for Ace. He had no intention of taking nearly as much time as he had no desire to impress the grumpy butt, and the cashier was giving him the stink eye. It _was_ five minutes to close. Sheepishly he gave a short wave promising to hurry up, he didn't want to be one of _those_ customers. He grabbed a few T shirts that he knew were too big for him, so would probably fit Ace, along with a few pairs of jeans and a hoodie.

Ace had requested jeans and raincoats to keep him dry, stating "If I _have_ to wear the ugly human garments, I want your very best to protect me from your sky falling hell water." 

Personally, Sabo had no reason to dislike nor like the rain. For all the obvious reasons, he liked it. It refreshed the Earth and gave him an edge when fighting demons. On the flip side, it got him cold, often sick, and made him prone to slipping in said fights. However, after discovering Ace's absolute loathing for the "sky falling hell water", Sabo had a much greater appreciation for the stuff.

Unfortunately for Sabo, as Ace was definitely going to be a whiny bitch baby about it, Sabo couldn't find any rain coats that would fit him. It wouldn't be that big of a deal, they'd be doing nearly the entire journey by bus if they could manage it ( _another_ amenity he'd be paying for out of his own pocket) and so voila, Ace could suck it, they'd be out of the rain.

He grabbed a pair of hiking boots that, again, looked too large for Sabo so by logic were more likely to fit Ace. He cringed at grabbing socks, no matter how necessary they may be to avoid blisters he still didn't like buying used socks, and promised himself to never share socks with Ace.

Basket very full and laden with items, Sabo finally approached the _very_ grumpy blue haired pre-teen running the till. Sabo grinned sheepishly in apology, it was indeed five minutes after they were supposed to be closed. She scanned each item through, barely bothering to even look at him. Awkward to say the least.

While waiting he scanned the shelves nearby, suddenly struck with a predicament. Ace was _fire_ as in, constantly on fire and could barely hold maps and bandages without burning them. He was powerful and had zero control of himself. That meant that until he practised reigning it in, if he even could, all the clothing Sabo just splurged on would be for waste within a few days. A week at a max.

The cashier still swiping things through, Sabo spied a pair of items just a few shelves away that could solve all of his problems, and made him a much happier demon hunter. He risked a glance at the grumpy pre-teen (Dang, she would get along with Ace well) but she still hadn't bothered gracing him with her gaze which was firmly planted on the items she scanned through and bagged. Quickly he darted away to shelves holding his treasure.

He managed to make it back just as she finished pulling items through, finally looking up at him "Your total is 53.46. Cash, Credit, or Debit?"

"Um, uh." he spared a glance at her nametag. "Ana." Her glare could have levelled mountains. "Miss..." he corrected. "Could I add these items to my purchase? Please?"

She continued staring at him for several more moments, eyes half lidded in exhaustion and annoyance, before huffing and rolling her eyes, scanning the items through. "60.73. Cash, Credit, or Debit?"

"Debit." he beamed. It was a revolutionary account, hopefully this counted as absolutely necessary purchases, or Dragon would have his head. He shuddered, no they'd send Inazuma after him, who was in charge of finances. Then he'd _wish_ he was dead.

He ignored the strange look the cashier gave him as he grabbed his bags.

\-----

Ace pointedly ignored Sabo-the-hunter-who-didn't-care-for-his-well-being as he played with Luffy while the evil, evil man went about purchasing their tickets. Sabo, who could actually decently read a map (and hold one without burning it) had managed to figure out where they were, and where they needed to go. Currently the three of them were at a Bus depot, Ace and Luffy playing on the benches while Sabo figured out the fastest route to a secluded beach where they could live the next several years of life in peace.

Luffy had invented a game where Ace had rocks and Luffy had twigs, and the goal was to hide your own while trying to nab the others. There were several issues, one being that the benches were outside so it was nearly impossible to tell which was a designated twig or rock and which was just normal average run of the mill twig or rock (it didn't help that Luffy had proved terrible at hiding his twigs).

Another problem had soon presented itself. Ace couldn't grab the twigs without burning them most of them time. Fortunately (for Luffy and Sabo, not so much for Ace) they _did_ have a method of avoiding this problem.

_"Where is my raincoat? I asked for a raincoat." Ace kept himself from digging through the bags of clothing Sabo had emerged with, so as to not burn the clothing that would ultimately be Luffy's._

_"There weren't any in your size." Sabo handed Luffy an admittedly adorable frog raincoat, which he gladly accepted and put on before anything else. "You get a hoodie instead."_

_He warily eyed the garment Sabo tried handing to him. "That won't keep me dry."_

_"Right!" Sabo jumped in delight, much to Ace's suspicion. "That's why I got you this, and this."_

_In one hand he held a pointy object with a hook on the end, and the other held a bottle with a gun on top?_

_"I don't know what those are." he deadpanned, much to Luffy's amusement, who was currently trying to put on his new rubber boots without any other articles of clothing. They'd have to deal with that in moment, but for now they both had other issues to deal with. Namely the two mystery objects in Sabo's hands._

_"This," he gestured to the pointy object with the hand holding the gun bottle. "Is an umbrella. You open it like this." he put down the gun bottle to demonstrate, resulting in it popping open into a large canopy. "And it protects you from rain. Compromise for not finding a raincoat."_

_He accepted the "umbrella" readily, happy at having something to keep him dry. He turned it this way and that, admiring the genius invention. "And the gun bottle?"_

_If the umbrella was any indication, the gun bottle must be pretty fantastic, however Sabo's smirk proved otherwise. "You're half right. This is actually called a spray bottle."_

_He immediately squirted Ace in the face who sputtered in utter betrayal. Just when he was starting to like the damn human!_

_"What the hell man?" He demanded, dripping water all over himself and groaning at the exhaustion that overcame him._

_"This spray bottle," He shook the offending object. "Is going to keep you nice, wet, and dirty so you don't burn through all the wonderful clothing I got you by the end of the week."_

_If looks could kill, Ace's glare would have erased Sabo's very existence at that moment. Ace liked to think Sabo's shiver meant he'd gotten close. Unfortunately, it had the desired effect. Ace was nice and covered in ash again making him look like your average bum off the street and not a human precisely thirty seconds away from certain death._

_Sabo tossed him the hoodie. "Get dressed, I'm going to wrangle Luffy into actual clothing."_

And so, while Sabo calculated their route at the ticket office, Ace and Luffy were stuck outside, Luffy gleefully bearing the spray bottle. He was lucky it was so difficult to be mad at someone so adorable. Frog raincoats should be illegal, surely they contained supernatural blessings.

As grumpy as it made him, it did its job well. No one in the terminal had given him a second look (well, some had, but it was more along the lines of what's-that-bum-doing-playing-with-that-child and not holy-fucking-shit-that-guy's-on-fire) and so while Ace was grumpy, he could live with the consequences if it got them out of the city faster.

They needed far more than just the clothing. Luffy hadn't eaten since before they left, and Ace was starting to feel the effect it was having on Luffy, not to mention that Sabo didn't have enough painkillers to last the journey. They needed more supplies, but more than that they needed to leave the city immediately. Police and private security still patrolled the area looking for them, thankfully they didn't know Sabo was tasked with haggling for tickets.

Speaking of said necessary evil, Sabo approached them downtrodden, tickets in hand. Luffy gleefully approached him shouting. "Sleepover! Sleepover! Sleepover!"

Sabo stared at him before mumbling about "damn creepy perception abilities", Luffy hanging off one arm he came to where Ace sat, far apart from everyone else there. Fine by him, he didn't like humans anyways.

"Well the good news is I got the tickets, and they'll take us halfway to our destination so we can restock _away_ from here." he started, lazily flapping the tickets in one hand which Luffy wouldn't take his eyes off of. "The bad news is we missed the last bus out of dodge so we'll need to spend the night here. And before you ask, no I do not have enough money to get us a motel room in this city. It's pricey here."

Ace shrugged, Luffy seemed excited enough at the prospect of sleeping over at the terminal and if he was happy, then Ace was unperturbed. "Luffy gets your sleeping bag."

Sabo scoffed. "I was _already_ going to offer to share it with him, you dirty animal. _You_ can have the floor."

"W-What?" Ace sputtered, offended. " _I'm_ his guardian. _I_ should be sharing with him, not _you,_ the random stranger who attacked us out of nowhere and is now hitching a ride on _our_ adventure."

"Yes. Adventure. Fleeing the government without funds or a clue to where you're going. Sounds like a blast. Look, listen," he placated, shaking his head. "You don't actually _need_ rest, nor warmth as you're a fucking fire demon, what the fuck." he mumbled the last bit to himself. "So you watch and guard, dirt monger, and we humans will rest up for the night.”

Ace crossed his arms, ignoring the pointed "dirt" jabs at him; it was ash, not dirt. He didn't like the plan, he liked it even less since Sabo was the one to suggest it, but alas logic prevailed. Luffy clearly caught on when Ace admitted defeat as he gave an excited whoop. "Sleepover!"

\----

For all of Sabo's supposed genius, he'd forgotten to purchase them pajamas. For Ace, it was no loss as he wouldn't be sleeping that night, but Luffy had been forced to strip down to his T-shirt and swimsuit bottoms (which Ace had wanted to burn, logic be damned, they brought back bad memories for Luffy) but thankfully it had gone without incident. Now the two of them were cuddling under the shelter on one of the benches while Ace stood nearby, eyes peeled for any suspicious activity.

He was pointedly ignoring the darkness outside the terminal.

It was ridiculous to him, really, to be afraid of the dark. His entire world consisted of dark, he'd grown up with bushes hidden in mystery and never knowing what was seven feet ahead of him. He was far too familiar with the dangers darkness held.

It wasn't that he was precisely scared of the dark, but what the dark meant. The penetrating emptiness reminded him too much of home, of enemies at every turn, of never ending battles to survive.

He released a slow sigh, hiding his face in his hands. He'd give _anything_ to stay here with Luffy, he'd even spend the rest of his life with that ass-hat Sabo if it meant staying away from demons like Teach.

A few feet away, Luffy whined and shifted within the sleeping bag and Ace did his best reign in his terrified thoughts. It'd do no good to wake him up, or infect him with a bad dream, just because outside the fluorescent lights of the terminal reminded him too much of home.

Home had never been a pleasant thing for him. Even decades ago when he was just an adolescent demon, when he wasn't alone, things were still difficult. Fire demons were renowned for their power, practically worshipped by some humans in parts of the world, but also hunted by those greedy enough and willing to risk everything.

Every corner, every tree, every summoning held so much danger it nearly wasn't worth it. Fire demons grew weaker without the energy gained from summoning, and those that risked it often disappeared. The pandemic had been happening long before Ace had come into existence.

He'd been so enamoured with This Side when he arrived for the first time, just over a decade ago. Injured from battle with an electricity demon with a long, long streak of vanity, Ace had risked it all. He hadn't been able to manage a flashy dramatic entrance to intimidate his summoners into obeying, or even a snarl to convey his anger. He was just so exhausted, and when confronted with the vibrant colours of the forest, any chance at intimidating his opposition evaporated at his awestruck expression.

The forest had been beautiful, bright greens and golden yellows coming through the leaves. Bright red and blue flowers dotted the landscape, and crystal clear stream trickled nearby. He'd never seen water before, not even a remotely close clear liquid.

He'd been really damn lucky it was the Whitebeards who summoned him, curious at hearing not all the fire demons were gone. He'd answered what questions he could to sate their curiosity in return for spending some time with them in their grove. By the time he left, he knew he would _always_ answer their summonings.

Of course, the flip side of the lovely experience was becoming just that more aware of how dull, dark, and dangerous the Land of Magic was. The ever present darkness kept everything dark and muted, and not even the light from Ace's fire could bring forth the same vibrancy he'd seen with the Whitebeards. The enemies at every turn he'd learned to tolerate now became a burden after spending several hours protected and safe. He missed the golden light of the Land of Living, the trickling water, the warmth so different from his own self provided warmth. He wanted the warmth of sunshine, of knowing you were safe.

He sunk lower into his funk, glaring half heartedly at the darkness outside. He hadn't even known it _got_ dark here, and he was finding it very unpleasant.

A tug on his sleeve abruptly broke him from his thoughts, causing him to jump and whirl around. Luffy stood there, yawning and rubbing his eye in his oversized T-shirt and rubber boots, legs bare to world.

"Hey, Hey." Ace crouched, picking him up. "You might wake up cranky butt, and you need rest, come on." he whispered gently.

"Too late, cranky butt is up." Sabo yawned in his ridiculous red onesie. It even had a button up butt flap for pooping. "Apparently someone was scared and needed a hug."

Ace eyed the child in his arms, head resting on his shoulder, arms wrapped around his neck. "I wasn't- you know what I give up. I don't like the dark."

"Who would've known." Sabo's half lidded satisfied smirk sent his way. "The great fire demon Ace was scared of the dark."

"I am NOT." he snapped, before remembering the child in his arms and reigning in his anger "it just reminds me of home is all."

"Uh huh." Sabo yawned "So, I guess the Other Side is dark and spooky then?"

"It is." Luffy piped up. "It's dark and empty."

Sabo looked thoughtful for a moment before taking Ace's hand. "Come with me."

"Hey, Hey, Hey!" Ace protested as Sabo began dragging him outside the terminal. "What about our stuff?"

"I doubt there is anyone within literally 10 miles of this place, we're fine you big baby. I'm going to show you something." Sabo explained.

"I have no desire to do some facing my fears bullshit exercise right now." he ignored Luffy's soft "aah" of wonder. "Right now, I want to stay in the sole light source in the middle of this fu-fricking forest and wait until the light comes back. Morning. Whatever."

"Just trust me." Sabo turned to face him, not letting go of his hand. "I need to sleep and I guarantee this is the best way to get Luffy off your case. Look up."

Reluctantly he followed the command, but not before shooting Sabo a dirty look who responded with an encouraging smile. Hesitantly he looked up at the sky, and gasped in disbelief.

Scattered across the sky were tiny pin pricks of light, some brighter than others, some clustered together or standing alone. The sky wasn't the dark brownish black it was in the Land of Magic, more of a deep midnight blue.

"Look over there." Sabo came next to him, pointing with his good arm towards a _very_ bright spot in the sky which took his breath away. It was much larger than the other specks, a full circle shining light blue shadows on the ground. Ace felt his jaw drop at the sight, he hadn't been able to see it from the bus terminal as it was above the overhang. He quietly whispered "What's that?"

"It's called the Moon." Sabo responded in hushed whisper. "It's a giant rock high up in the sky that reflects the sun's light to us, even at night."

"Night." he whispered back. "Our nights aren't like this."

"I didn't think so, when Luffy mentioned it being empty. Are there stars on the Other Side?"

"Stars?"

"Ah, the small pinpricks of light in the sky. I'm guessing not."

"No." Ace shook his head, not taking his eyes off the sky above him. "We certainly don't."

It took a few more minutes of stargazing to realize Sabo hadn't moved from his close position after pointing out the moon. Ace decided he didn't mind. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter: nothing besides the good ol' author's potty mouth.  
> "Huh?" Sabo was lost, why on Earth would a kid raised in a laboratory have an interest in Russia? ( because he's secretly the winter soldier, i called it everyone go home ) Everyone meet the Beta reader Lynette, who leaves me fantastic comments such as these, that I almost forget to remove from the text before uploading. Fun fact for this chapter: The scene beneath the stars (with the art) was never in my original plan, Ace and Sabo were actualy supposed to be hostile with each other for a lot longer, but because of this scene they got a lot closer a lot faster which I think turned out nicely. Do y'all like how this is going so far? The action is going to pick up again next chapter! Thank you to everyone who comments, seriously you make my WEEK


	7. Full Moon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 7!!!! This one is a doozy folks, coming in at just over 8,000 words. Warnings are at the end, enjoyyy

"Don't worry about getting wet Ace, this will keep you dry Ace, The rain won't affect you with this Ace"

"Oh shush you" Sabo sprayed Ace with the spray bottle, eliciting a strangled cry similar to that of an enraged cat, or perhaps a very young bear. Regardless of ridiculous animal noises it delighted and amused Luffy, who gave several pleased giggles.

Ace stood just outside the shelter, waiting for their bus to empty so they could board. Unfortunately for the cranky fire demon it was pouring rain, and while he got to stand under his wonderful yellow umbrella (with one broken peg that made it tilt in one direction and pour onto his shoulder) it was still just as important to keep his beautiful demonic essence under wraps lest they accidentally acquire worshippers or something, and so Ace was subject to the spray bottle every few minutes or so, or whenever Sabo felt like it which felt much more frequent.

Luffy yawned, each of his hands being held by one of his guardians as they waited with a few other yawning early risers in the parking lot. Luffy wasn't complaining about the rain, Luffy had rain boots and an (adorable) raincoat.

"I'm tired" Luffy yawned again.

"Well if _somebody_ " Sabo gave a pointed look at Ace, who stuck out his tongue in retaliation "wasn't so busy discovering stars for the first time we might have gotten more sleep"

"Your fault" Ace retaliated "You're the one who showed me stars in the first place"

"Let's go on the bus" Luffy cut in. They both looked up, Luffy was right, the bus had begun boarding.

Ace growled as he was rained on while putting away the umbrella. The three of them joined the queue of people boarding the bus, all bearing coffee or _very_ large bags under their eyes. Sabo teasingly raised the spray bottle, which Ace threatened with a menacing growl. He was wet enough as it was, he didn't need the damn thing again.  

Once they reached the bus driver, a grumpy overweight man with too much stubble to be considered fashionable, they handed over their tickets and boarded the bus. With the only audible reply being a grunt, they decided it was probably okay to choose their own seats.

"Ha. Ha. Ha." Ace points each laugh with a jab into Sabo's (uninjured) shoulder at the seating selection. They were only 2 by 2, which meant someone was going to have to sit on their own and Ace had already decided who. Luffy excitedly ran to the seats at the very back of the bus "comfy seats comfy seats comfy seats"

Luffy carefully took his time picking between left and right, ultimately deciding on the right side and taking the aisle seat. Ace laughed "Don't you want the window seat?"

Luffy shook his head "Nope, I'm gonna fall asleep" and then he gave Ace that grin, that same one from when he told Ace he and Sabo would like each other and was vividly reminded of stargazing with him nearly the entire night holding hands. He ducked into the window seat to hide his growing blush, much to Luffy's amusement. He picked up the boy by his armpits to hide his flaming cheeks "Cool boys only allowed back here, Loser boy"

Sabo only rolled his eye before getting into his own window seat in front of them "Yeah well at least I'm not spreading my filth onto our charge"

"I'm not-! Hey!" Ace protested before looking at Luffy's shirt which he'd been holding him by, jacket discarded. Sure enough Luffy was covered in dirty finger marks from Ace's soaked ashes rubbing onto him. With a humph he let Luffy go, leaning his head onto the window to watch the rain fall.

His peace was very quickly disturbed by a squirt of water into his face.

"H-Hey! he sputtered, glaring at the small child next to him cheekily holding the bottle in both hands. Sabo only shrugged when Ace moved his glare to him "What? He said you were being moody"

"Moody Ace needs to cheer up" Luffy accentuated his point with another squirt to the face, leaving Ace dripping and sputtering once more. He lunged for the bottle, causing Luffy to squeal and hold it just out of his reach "Sabo! Sabo! Help!" Luffy laughed.

"Pass it here!" the traitor laughed, and despite Luffy's horrendous throw and Ace's best efforts to intercept, Sabo managed to catch the bottle and squirt Ace right in the eye "Ha! Eye for eye, asshole"

Ace yelped at the feeling of water hitting his _eye_ but thankfully no lasting damage was done, not that Sabo had considered that. What if he'd been blinded? Then it wouldn't have been nearly as funny. He lunged over the seats making a grab for the bottle but with a surprised yelp Sabo managed to dodge away, throwing the bottle back to Luffy who missed the catch but managed to retrieve it before Ace could recover from throwing himself half over the seats in front of him.

"Guuuuys come on" he whined, wiggling himself back into his own seat at the insistent stink eye from the bus driver. Sabo and Luffy only chuckled to themselves, pleased at winning their terrible game of keep away.

Suddenly Sabo stopped, sniffing the air "Do you smell that?" Luffy sniffed too, before giving a panicked look to where Ace gripping the chair to get back to his seat "Ace!"

Where Ace's fingers dug into the blue and green upholstery it was rapidly becoming a burnt crispy brown and black. With a startled yelp he threw himself back into his seat, groaning at the impact. Luffy immediately squirted him several times to douse the embers now dotting his skin.

"Hmmmm, interesting" Sabo studied the burn marks left behind by Ace's fingers, ignoring the glare his behind was receiving by the bus driver. It wasn't like they'd even started driving yet.

"Not interesting!" Ace whispered, terrified. He warily watched the other passengers to see if they'd noticed "I thought the whole point of the stupid gun bottle was to prevent this kind of thing from happening!"

"Well it seems that, theoretically, if there's little water and enough of a need for your fire you _can_ overcome it and still attack. Mighty useful, I must say, if we're in a pinch. And oh that's probably what happened in the alleyw-" he stopped with a lurch as the bus driver finally pulled forward, throwing Sabo into the very seat he'd been studying. Ace and Luffy did very little stifle their giggles, to which Sabo rolled his eyes and properly sat down.

\----

For the first hour or so, Luffy was an unstoppable force of mayhem which Ace and Sabo were very reluctant to stop. He ran up and down the aisles, conversed with random strangers about anything that took his fancy, and sometimes even jumped into people's laps to look out their windows. Someone had given him a granola bar after he complained about how hungry he was, and even total strangers could tell Luffy was in a rough situation. Ace's dirty hands had done wonders in making him look like a beggar boy (and really it wasn't that far from the truth)

However even the greatest storms must eventually come to an end, and after an hour and half Luffy's little sleep from the night before (and little food) finally caught up to him and he fell asleep cradled in Ace's lap.

Ace was determined to stare out the window and ignore the hunter in front of him, and for about half an hour he was successful. But after two hours of watching the same trees go by in a blur even Ace found himself bored of his surroundings. Reluctantly cursing himself, he called out to Sabo in front of him "Hey"

For a second Sabo didn't respond, before turning and pointing to himself.

Ace scoffed "No, the other asshole I actually know on this bus. Get back here, I'm bored as shit"

Now Sabo only raised his eyebrows, seemingly shocked into silence "Uh..."

He rolled his eyes "Don't Uh me, it's a very long bus ride and Luffy's asleep. No point in sitting in front of us if the seat's free"

Sabo still stared at him like he'd grown a third head (or had spontaneously combusted, again) but when Ace kept staring at him he reluctantly abandoned his window seat in favour of sitting with his group. For a few minutes neither said anything, Ace regretting every decision he'd ever made to lead to this situation, before the boredom from earlier finally won over "So"

"So" Sabo replied curtly.

"The government dogs huh?"

"H-Hey!" Sabo sputtered "We are _not_ the government's _dogs_. We work completely independently from them"

"So you're terrorists?" Ace jabbed.

"Treason is the highest crime you could actually charge us with, probably" Sabo rubbed his chin "I'm not actually entirely sure what they _could_ charge us with. It's not like we're actively hindering them in any way"

"Kidnapping?" Ace carded his fingers through Luffy's hair "You could probably get charged with kidnapping"

"Okay well _I_ could" Sabo gestured to himself "Probably. But not the revolutionaries as a whole, and is it even kidnapping if he came willingly?"

"They could probably argue we coerced or manipulated him into it?" he suggested for the sake of conversation.

Sabo rolled his eyes "Yea, probably. Whatever, great, There's probably worse things I could charged for anyway"

"Sabo the criminal" Ace marveled "Protecting the world from evils like me for the sake of justice"

Sabo punched Ace's shoulder "You know you're not greatest evil out there, not by a long shot"

"That hurt" Ace whined, rubbing the spot Sabo had hit him "You've got all those tattoos and beads and shit, I can't roughhouse with you when you're like that"

"They're my pride and joy" Sabo beamed "I got all of these from our Master Cultist, Ivankov. They're the one who discovered the protective and enhancing properties of different kinds of wood."

Luffy stirred for a moment and they both froze, keeping their mouths shut to avoid waking the boy. When he remained asleep they both released a sigh of relief, and Sabo resumed his explanations.

 "See these ones" He pulled out some pure white ones wound around his wrist "are really rare, and protect against blunt attacks. They have the added advantage" He waved them in Ace's face, giving him a slight headache "Of warding off demons. A punch from these would hurt _a lot_ "

"Yeah, I know" Ace rubbed his cheek from where he'd been hit, several times, in their fight from the day before. The blossoming bruise there was very impressive, and sore.

"Ooooh these ones are great" He put away the white ones and tugged on the bright red ones around his neck "They're ingrained with Magik, which I haven't used yet. I'm still waiting for the right spell, the right moment you know?" He flashed Ace a grin "These are pretty rare"

"Hmmm" Ace poked one of the beads. Some of the red came off onto his finger without removing any of the red from the wood itself, which he observed carefully "and how, do tell, have these beads gotten such a _vibrant_ red?"

"Well they're soaked in Fae blood, of course" He smugly confirmed Ace's suspicions "It's where the Magik comes from, and the Balsa wood absorbed it plenty"

"Right, and where, do tell, did the Fae blood come from?" Ace inquired, with only a hint of suspicion in his voice despite being very wary of Sabo's answer.

"Uh, where? I mean" Sabo sheepishly looked away "I didn't really think to ask" 

"Yeah that's what I thought" Ace broke eye contact with the beads "Those are probably useless"

"What?!?" Sabo gaped at him "They're Balsa wood beads soaked in Fae blood, they're practically brimming with Magik"

"No" Ace shook his finger at him disappointedly "If the blood was willingly given, sure, but I'm guessing one of your cultists dead ass murdered a Fae for their blood so you jokers could get off on doing some cheap spell because you don't have magik of your own, but listen up bud" He grabbed Sabo's chin, forcing eye contact between them "Since the blood was unwillingly given, then the magik is unwilling as well. It will _never_ co-operate with you, or any spell you attempt" Ace released his grip on Sabo, who looked bewildered rubbing the ash off his face from Ace's hands.

"Well, Uh, my favourites" he moved on, thankfully tucking his blood soaked beads under his shirt in favour of some orangish ones he pulled from his belt "Are these arbutus beads, very endangered. Like, only found within 8 kilometers of the ocean on the west coast of North America endangered. They give luck" Sabo smiled fondly "Ivankov gave me these as a gift when I first joined when I was 10" He sucked in a sharp breath, to Ace's interest "I was, yeah, I was in a bad place"

"You were 10 years old when you decided you wanted to dedicate your life to eradicating evil from the world?" Ace raised an eyebrow "Honourable but I mean-"

"My parents" Sabo cut in, looking forlorn "Thought demons were a key to riches and success. I watched it eat their souls"

"Oh" Ace didn't know what else to say as Sabo clenched his eyes shut "Humans aren't really mean to see souls-"

"Yeah, Yep, You are absolutely correct in that statement" Sabo nodded jerkily "The police found me five kilometers away, still running. My feet were nearly destroyed. No shoes" He explained.

"So" Ace started awkwardly "Demon hunting"

"Yeah" Sabo finally opened his eyes "I didn't want that happening to anyone else, So I joined up. One of their youngest recruits, but it's gotten me to where I am now"

"Fleeing all your responsibilities with a couple of hooligans on a bus to the beach for a much needed several yearlong Vacay" Ace nudged him, eliciting a tired grin to his satisfaction "You're allowed to be happy you know"

"Yeah" Sabo looked down at Luffy who still rested peacefully "I guess"

\-----

Sabo leaned his head on Ace's shoulder, lightly dozing off but not entirely comfortable enough to actually fall asleep. Luffy, by some miracle or act of god, was still soundly asleep in Ace's lap who had been on and off complaining of his legs being asleep so much that Sabo was ignoring him at this point. He was probably only doing it to prove a point, or annoy him, by now.

They'd kept up an amiable conversation for the better part of the ride, but three hours in and their restless night was catching up to them. Sabo suspected Ace hadn't fallen asleep either, if only because he didn't need to. However he wasn't entirely sure Ace couldn't if he wanted to.

The view hadn't improved much on either side of him. Out the window on the other side of Ace there were still hundreds of the same damn tree going by in a green and grey blur, and on Sabo's other side many grumpy passengers had finally fallen asleep, snoring loudly with jaws open wide enough for a dentist to operate.

Sabo wanted to sleep, but by God he just _couldn't_. He'd trained his entire life to battle demons and protect the innocent, and his damned mind refused to rest with Luffy in Ace's lap. He pointedly ignored the little voice in his head pointing out he still hadn't moved his head from Ace's shoulder.

"Why don't they serve complimentary meals on bus rides?" Sabo piped up, resigning himself to more polite small talk now that sleep eluded him "I mean they do it on Airplanes, so why not buses?"

Ace shrugged, bobbing Sabo's head up and down "You pay more for airplanes? And I mean it's not like _every_ flight serves meals"

Sabo squinted "How is it that you know some human things but not others? Like You obviously didn't recognize the squirt bottle, or the umbrella, but you know about the price differences between airplane and bus rides?"

"The whitebeards summoned me a lot" Ace explained "Sometimes just for random conversations or to bitch about" he poked Sabo "expensive plane rides. And then it's a fun 20 minute explanation on what airplanes are, and other modes of transportation, and maps, and etc" he waved his hand dismissively "Fun, but my knowledge is patchy at best"

Ace and Sabo chatted aimlessly about everything and nothing for awhile, and to Sabo's surprise it wasn't entirely unpleasant. Ace was surprisingly charming when he wasn't being snarky and insulting. After their initial more personal conversation they silently agreed to stay clear of anything personal, and Sabo actually enjoyed trying to guess where the extent of Ace's knowledge. The demon was right, his knowledge was spotty and in some areas vast and more expansive than even Sabo's, but in others he lacked even basic comprehension of widely known subjects.

"So you're telling me" Ace began, Sabo shaking his head doing his best not to laugh "That there are large vast areas of the world with absolutely no life whatsoever"

"No, no, no" Sabo couldn't help it, he was chuckling "There's no _water_ , plenty of species still manage to survive despite that"

"Huh" Ace stared out the window, at the forest that hadn't changed in their hours of driving, and the fog and rain that hadn't let up the entire time either "Sounds like my kind of place"

"Ugh, please no" Sabo shivered "Sand demons, gets _everywhere_ , you need a full body scrub down afterwards and sometimes you just can't help but want to welcome the sweet embrace of death"

"So, would you say" The bus was slowing down but Ace's shit eating grin was not "That you hate sand because it's coarse, rough, irritating, and gets everywhere?"

The bus was coming to a stop but Sabo was distracted by Ace, his jaw dropping  in shock and awe "Was that a Star Wars reference? Oh my god that was a Star Wars reference I can't believe it"

Ace guffawed "Haruta's a huge Star Wars fan, they used to summon me all the time just to talk about it. I promise I know more than you ever will"

"Yeah" Sabo eyed out the window near Ace, finally noticing their surroundings coming to a stop "Probably, why'd we stop"

Ace perked up, looking out the window himself "Are we there?"

Sabo looked around, the other passengers looked just as confused as he felt, some had stood up to complain. Up near the front of the bus the bus driver dug through his glove compartment.

Sabo turned to the middle eastern woman with the bright blue hijab sitting directly across the aisle from them. He remembered she'd given Luffy the granola bar earlier "Excuse me, do you know if we've reached our destination?"

She shook her head "No, no" her words held the slight accent of one who'd been speaking English a long time, but not as a first language "We still have 2 more hours, and the trees get bigger closer to the water. We're nowhere near" She looked forward fearfully "What's going on?"

"I'm sure it's fine" Sabo wanted to know what was happening as well, but there was no point in inciting a riot. Not yet at least, it _was_ a strategy he'd used to escape before but now he was Ace and Luffy to consider as well.

Several police officers approached bus door, the driver immediately letting them in. Outside several other uniformed figures stood, hands on concealed weapons. Next to him, Ace tensed and although Luffy still slept, he stirred unhappily.

"Morning" The young woman boarded first, her cigar chewing superior boarding behind her "We need to search this bus for a missing boy, eleven years old, short black straight hair, 4 foot 1, 70 pounds. He was kidnapped over 24 hours ago and his family is very worried"

Even if Sabo had had hours to prepare and hide Luffy it wouldn't have helped, as every head swiveled immediately in their direction. Internally Sabo cursed all of them, there _was_ another boy fitting the description (almost, the other boy's hair was more of a light brown and curly) but he was travelling with a grandmother like figure while Luffy was travelling with the two suspicious young men. Not to mention Luffy had been the one running around asking for food.

The two police officers followed the gazes to where Ace and Sabo sat. Luffy was out of sight, curled up on Ace's lap, but it was impossible to miss the way Ace tensed as everyone turned to stare at them. On his lap Luffy whined and rubbed his eyes

The female officer looked ready to approach them when the other uniforms boarded the bus, eyes locked onto Ace. They dismissed her immediately and began approaching them.

"Shit" Ace cursed under his breath "They're from the lab"

Sabo cursed as well, giving up all pretense of pretending to be a normal passenger, and springing up with his staff in hand. The other passengers shouted in alarm, some near the front scrambled off the bus. The kind woman in the hijab across from him cowered under her seat, eyeing him frightfully.

"This is bad, This is very, very bad" Ace carefully moved Luffy to the seat while Sabo stood firmly between them and the suited men watching them warily. He cursed as Ace came up beside him and the agents pulled out guns.

"Don't worry" Ace shoved Sabo behind him, much to his chagrin, with a cocky grin "I got this, burnt-marshmallow"

Sabo didn't know whether to be offended at being called burnt, being called a marshmallow of all things, or the implication that simply because he lost to Ace he couldn't handle a few no name agents from the government. Seriously, the tools didn't even have nametags. Such cannon fodder.

"Sun glasses don't make you cool, they just make you look stupid and pretentious" Sabo shouted from behind Ace. Luffy stirred, blinking blearily at Sabo who remained tense.

The suits began warily moving forward again, but unfortunately for them it became quickly obvious they had not been properly prepared on how to deal with a fucking _demon_. Cannon fodder indeed. Ace stripped off his shirt (far more dramatically than was necessary) and turned to Sabo "I'm gonna keep my pants on, if that's alright, because apparently its 'inappropriate'" he air quoted "to let my wee wee hang out, is that alright? They'll be a little torched" He grinned mischievously.

Sabo's mind was still stuck somewhere on Shirtless Ace and That Grin but some part of his brain began pulling its weight and managed a nod in response. Ace nodded back in response and finally the rest of his mind caught up with Oh Right, Fire.

If the situation had been a little less serious, Sabo would have been on the ground laughing at the fucking expressions of the poor bastards about to fight Ace as he suddenly _lit up_ with flames climbing his chest and shoulder, onto his face and into his hair. Much to Sabo's disappointment Ace _did_ torch his pants, which would need to be replaced. Still, it made for a very intimidating image.

Ace roared in laughter as more passengers scrambled past the stunned agents off the bus. At least the police officers had had the foresight to grab their radios and call for backup, But Sabo remembered the kind middle eastern woman (still cowering under her seat) telling him they were in the middle of nowhere. Back up was a long ways a away.

"Oh? So _now_ you're too scared to fight? Come on" Ace took a step forward, shooting several flames forward and catching a few of the agents, causing the others to jump back several feet. Some dared to dodge forward and pull their comrades to safety, but most followed the passengers off the bus  to even safer grounds  "Didn't they tell you what happened? Not even a mention of the most powerful fire demon in existence being involved?" Sabo was grinning behind Ace at this point, looking for a way off the bus that didn't involve fighting their way through the group of agents gathered outside. Ace was still bragging and occasionally spitting fire, despite the lack of audience "Wow you really aren't important at all are you, come on and fight-" and everything went shit to the wall sideways.

There were several alarmed shouts from the remaining passengers, though none as loud as Ace's, as the fire alarm system finally came to life in response to the heat emanating from his fire, dousing them in water. Ace sputtered and sizzled as his flames were doused and replaced with his normal dirty self.

"You're the _only_ fire demon in existence you dumb shit!" Sabo pushed past Ace, shoving him towards Luffy "And you're more useless than Roy Mustang in a storm so get behind me!"

Renewed in strength knowing they wouldn't have to fight the fire demon, the suits charged back on to the bus and towards Sabo who suddenly found himself caught in a 3 on 1 fight with an enchanted staff and runes which were great against demons, not so much against guns. His martial arts weren't enough to compensate and he found himself getting knocked around "Alright time for plan B!!"

"Plan B?" Ace shouted in bewildered "What the hell is Plan B?"

"I don't know!" He managed to block a swing going for his face but in return took a kick to his burnt chest that knocked the air out of him "You're the one sitting back there being useless, Think of something!"

Realizing he was injured, the agents began centering their attacks on Sabo's chest which were easier to block, but much more deadly when they made contact. He managed to knock an agent out by getting their feet from under them but the others weren't letting up.

One of the agents unclicked the safety on their pistol, and Sabo barely caught the arm in time to get the shot just to the left of his head instead of between his eyes. Behind him he heard a body thump to the ground.

"Oooh" Ace grimaced "There goes Mister Bus Driver"

"Focus!" Sabo used his grip on the pistol wielder's hand to break their wrist, causing them to go down screaming "Plan B! Plan B!"

"We don't have a Plan B, we never discussed a Plan B!" Ace argued. Meanwhile Sabo gave the downed agent a solid kick to the head, keeping them down while engaging the last one "Well think of one!"

"Here!" Luffy suddenly piped up, prying open the emergency hatch in the back which had automatically unlocked at the fire alarm's activation. The eleven year old immediately jumped out. Sabo didn't need to be told twice.

"Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go!" Sabo urged as Ace stood there stunned. He finally grabbed Sabo's bag off the rack and jumped out the back after Luffy, both boys taking off into the surrounding forest.

Unfortunately Sabo's fight was at stalemate, both blocking the other's attacks while still desperately trying to get through their opponent's guard. Sabo was at a distinct disadvantage at being injured, and having a time limit, pushing him into making bolder and riskier attacks with very little pay off. The longer the fight dragged on the more his burns weighed him down, and the further Ace and Luffy got.

It him with a jolt that he may not reunite with them. If they got far enough before he finished his battle, if his injuries dulled him to the point of losing, or even if the fight dragged on long enough for reinforcements to arrive he may be stuck.

He didn't want to die, he didn't want to go to jail, and he certainly didn't want to lose Ace and Luffy so quickly after gaining them. Just like before in the alley, loss here was _not_ an option.

However, not like the alley before, Sabo wasn't facing a near extinct all powerful demon, he was facing one man and he had been facing _three_. He wasn't about to let this final test stop him from accomplishing his goals, He still had Koala and Ivankov to get back to. He still had Luffy and Ace to protect.

With a quick thrust Sabo lunged for the agent's head with his staff, which was easily grabbed. With the perfect mix of surprise and horror on his face, Sabo let himself get thrown to the ground next the agent with the broken wrist. The still standing agent wrenched the staff from his hands, throwing it across the bus and under a seat.

But Sabo didn't hesitate a moment, and while the Agent was distracted with throwing his staff Sabo lunged for the gun in the hand of the broken wrist agent. As soon as his opponent realized his mistake it was too late, and Sabo managed to get a bullet through his knee.

Unfortunately for Sabo he had no experience with guns, and of his six shots only one hit the agent but the kickback knocked the gun into his still burnt face, leaving him rolling on the ground gasping. He desperately pulled himself to his hands and knees, the pulsing in his face dulling with adrenaline, eyes desperately searching for the other agent who remained down. He clutched his leg sobbing for help, a small pool of red collecting beneath him.

Slowly Sabo pulled himself up to one knee, then up to one foot one knee, and finally back on two feet. Just as he began searching for his staff he found a shaking hand offering it to him in front of his face.

Trailing his eyes up found the bright blue hijab wearing woman offering it to him.

"Vivi" The girl managed to get out "My name's Vivi and you should go"

"Sabo" he offered, taking the staff. Just before jumping out the back window he turned to the two actual police officers standing at the front of the bus. The black haired who'd initially made the inquiry about them was still radioing for backup, and an ambulance for the injured, maybe dead, agents. The bus driver was very much dead, as the cigar smoking officer had clearly discovered. The two made eye contact, not breaking for several painstaking moments before he shook his head and returned to his partner's side.

Sabo breathed a sigh of relief before hopping out the back of the bus. Thankfully there weren't any more officers waiting outside, just a handful of terrified bus passengers who eyed him warily as he made his way across the empty highway into the woods.

Unfortunately the fight had clearly tired him out more than he'd expected because he failed to see the blur shooting for his midsection until moments before it made contact, knocking him to the ground with a pained groan.

"Sabo!" The blur shouted "We were so worried about you, and Ace was too even though he's gonna try and lie about it, and don't worry cuz we could NEVER EVER leave you behind"

Sabo gently hugged Luffy back, raising an amused eyebrow at Ace, who still held his bag "Worried?"

"Psh" Ace tried to dismiss despite Luffy's claims "Was not. And besides, I'm not the one who was apparently convinced would get left behind"

Sabo smiled gently at the light blushing on Ace's cheeks, still holding Luffy "I had three agents to deal with, and I'm injured. I told you guys to run so really it was a fair of me to worry"

For a moment none of them moved or said anything, until Ace moved to give Sabo a hand up "We'll never leave you behind, okay? You're with us now, and we're gonna stick together till the end"

Sabo gratefully took the hand, standing up as Luffy crawled off his lap "Thanks" he smiled at Ace, and to his surprise Ace even smiled back.

\-----

They huddled under an alcove of roots and moss together, shivering in the rain that resumed about an hour after their departure from the bus. What had begun as a fog rapidly became mist, which became drizzle, which soon accomplished it's hopes and dreams of becoming a true west coast downpour.

Unfortunately for the trio under the roots and moss, this meant they couldn't move as their resident fire demon couldn't handle the deluge and needed to rest and recover from the energy he was still losing. It was obvious to Sabo he was upset about something, but for the life of him Ace wouldn't say _what_.

Those reinforcements the female police officer had been calling had clearly arrived, and by reinforcements apparently she meant half the goddamn U.S. military. They'd already run from sniffer dogs, S.W.A.T. teams, and helicopters with mounted semi-automatics. Nothing was near them, and they could rest. For now.

Luffy coughed into his elbow, causing them both to jump. They couldn't risk a fire, hell they probably couldn't even make one in this weather, but it made the cold and the wet downright unbearable. Luffy especially seemed to be coming down with something.

Luffy rubbed at his cheek absently, which only made Ace scowl more. Ever since Sabo had handed Luffy to Ace to hold so he could keep watch and Ace could do his best to keep dry under the tree Ace had been scowling more and more. Sabo wanted to confront him about it, ask him what was wrong, maybe even comfort him, but his burns still throbbed in reminder of their near fatal fight not too long ago, and he wasn't eager to draw the demon's wrath should he care not to share.

Ace, as Sabo was discovering, was not entirely unreasonable but very emotional. His mood didn't stay in one place for long, or he'd hit an extreme and be the same for hours. This meant that while he could go from agreeable to annoying and back again in the span of a few minutes, it also meant he could get stuck in a funk for hours. Like right now.

Luffy shivered, huddling closer to Ace who seemed reluctant to comfort the boy, much to Sabo's surprise. The two had been inseparable the entire trip, and more often than not Sabo felt like an outsider on their adventure.

"You can hug him, you know" Sabo remarked, boredom winning out over survival instincts "He _actually_ likes you, and is very cold. Not gonna kill him to get some comfort"

Ace didn't verbally respond beyond an annoyed grunt, shifting to hold Luffy a bit closer but his rising discomfort was obvious. Luffy paid him no mind, clutching Ace soaked sweater in his hands and shivering uncontrollably.

"You could take it off" Sabo inputted, pushing further when his death didn't immediately spring at him "The sweater. It'd keep him warmer to have direct contact with you, if that's what's bothering you."

But, to Sabo's shock, Ace only shifted again and avoided verbally answering him. Instead of following Sabo's advice he only moved Luffy _more_ onto the soaked sweater, and away from skin contact that would keep him warm.

"Hello?" Sabo waved a hand in Ace's direction, who glared at him "Earth to Ace? Are you home? Can you speak or hear me? Blink once for yes, twice for no"

"I can speak, and unfortunately hear you just fine" Ace finally replied.

"Damn, and here I thought the water finally sent you into a vegetable state. Oh well, there's still time"

"What do you _want._ " Ace snapped, clearly growing agitated at Sabo's teasing.

"What's up with you?" He asked seriously, staring Ace down "You've been acting like a grump all afternoon. Evening" He listened closely, then poked his head out to stare at the sky when he heard nothing moving nearby "Maybe evening" he corrected "It's hard to tell with the cloud cover"

"Well sorry if I don't enjoy getting soaked, again, and being rendered useless in a fight, again, or being trapped in the rain, again" Ace listed off. He had a point, Sabo conceded, these were probably some of the worst conditions for a demon to try and get through. Probably why the government was trying so hard to catch them, before the rain left and Ace could destroy anyone in a fight.

"Yeah but" Sabo paused, gathering his words "That's never stopped you from helping Luffy before, and you're practically holding him at arm's length right now"

Ace didn't answer, looking sullenly at Luffy for several long moments. The silence stretched between them, Sabo awaiting an answer Ace seemed reluctant to give. His face scrunched up in irritation, contemplating something Sabo wasn't privy to. He waited patiently for Ace to sort his thoughts.

"I keep" Ace paused, shaking his head "I'm just getting him dirty"

That threw Sabo off completely "What?" he asked, dumbfounded.

Ace groaned, burying his face in Luffy's jacket "I'm getting him dirty. You know me, dirty ash demon, dirty dirty dirt. Everyone on the bus knew he was the missing kid cuz I'd gotten him so dirty"

"That's not-" Sabo started.

"YES IT IS" Ace interrupted with a shout "Everyone knew it because of me, you know I'm just a dirty demon. You've said so yourself"

Sabo's heart sunk because he knew he had said it before. He'd been joking, mostly in the more recent times, but he'd still played on one of Ace's insecurities for his own amusement. Enough that apparently Ace felt too self conscious to properly comfort Luffy, who Sabo knew Ace loved more than anything in this world.

He groaned at his own stupidity, both for what he'd done and what he was about to do. Ace raised an eyebrow at him as he took off his jacket first, fuck was it cold, then his miscellaneous beads. They were everywhere, tucked into sleeves and pockets and wrapped around his neck. He had a few hanging from his ears that he only just remembered to take out before leaving his perch at the entrance and approaching Ace and Luffy.

"What are you-? Hey! Hey! Hey!" Ace objected as Sabo crawled up next to him on the other side of Luffy, wrapping his arms around both of them.

"Shut up" Sabo added helpfully to Ace's confused expression "There hasn't been anyone around for hours, we're fine, so we're cuddling for warmth.

Ace stared at him for a few more moments "... you took off your beads"

"Yeah" Sabo snorted "If we're going to cuddle then I have to take them off, it's not exactly enjoyable if I'm giving you headaches and warding you off. I mean my tattoos probably do that enough without the help so."

After a few minutes with no response, Sabo looked up expecting maybe a confused gaze, or worst case scenario: an enraged one. Sabo wasn't sure what he'd do if Ace was angry at him for his attempts at comfort, in such a confined space with no room to run or beads to protect him he could easily perish. Hopefully Luffy wouldn't be caught in the crossfire, although resting in between them made it very unlikely he'd make it out unharmed.

"..." What he didn't expect to see was the fire demon actually smiling at him. He blinked owlishly at the comforted smile, before squinting "... did I break you"

"Fuck off" he shoved Sabo without any real force or malice "We need to rest while the rain's still heavy so we can move once it lightens up"

Sabo smiled back "Yeah there's a city nearby, and I probably have enough funds left to get us an actual room at a motel"

"I thought you couldn't afford a motel! When the hell did you have time to find us a city?"

"Before I came over here, and I couldn't afford a motel in _that_ city"

"You were on watch!"

"Yeah well..."

\----

True to Sabo's word, he had found them a nearby city, and so when the rain stopped earl the next morning the weary group picked themselves out of the hole they'd hidden in, stretching cramped limbs and aching joints from the awkward positions they'd held inside the small space. The sun hadn't even risen yet, but the sky was streaked with blue and the horizon was vaguely orange.  After a few minutes of walking Luffy no longer complained being sore, instead loudly whining about how hungry he was.

"It's a completely fair complaint" Ace responded to Sabo rolling his eyes "He hasn't eaten since that granola bar he had on the bus _yesterday_ "

" I know, I know" groaned, rubbing his face. He'd had a hard time sleeping in the cramped space, not only jumping at every noise thinking it was the agents catching up to them, but also at every little insect that crawled on them, and every curious animal that poked it's head into their burrow "He probably hadn't eaten much before that, had he?"

Ace looked ready to respond, before shutting his mouth with a thoughtful look "Luffy when'd you last eat? _Before_ the granola bar"

"I dunno!" He skipped, moving a pebble onto the other side of a twig, running and pressing his ear against trees, and generally being a psychic child in a forest.

Ace dropped his head onto his chest "Fuck, first thing when we get to the city is getting Luffy some food. First thing!" He declared with a pointed finger to the sky.

Sabo wanted to argue his point, they needed a motel room before they all sold out, they needed to shower so they looked presentable, they needed to change clothes and perhaps dye their hair to avoid being detected. There were _many_ things that needed to be done before they stopped for a bite to eat.

But Sabo's own stomach growled in protest, and it'd been even longer for Luffy. Not to mention Ace's own energy and power depended on Luffy, which drained Luffy even more. It didn't matter if even the newest greenest cop found them right now, they'd be no fight at all.

If light bulbs existed in real life, they came in the form of shit eating grins like the one Sabo wore at that exact moment. 

"What." Ace demanded "What are you thinking. Explain that smile. That's not a good smile."

"Denny's" Sabo replied like it answered every question in the world. For a brief moment he wondered if Ace knew what Denny's was. If his answering shit eating grin was any indication, he did.

"They see weirder every day. It's so early they won't even question it." Ace supplied in favor of the argument.

"Minimum wage night shift have hardened souls, they won't give a fuck. I'll leave a 20 for a tip and a note we were never there and I bet the employee would even delete any... footage...." Sabo trailed off, realizing something.

"What?" Ace asked "You lost me"

"The bus station, it had cameras. It's how they knew where to find us" Sabo replied, still bewildered at his revelation "They must've posted highway patrols and checks on every bus route out of the city"

"Yep!" Luffy piped up from in front of them "It's why I picked the back!"

For a moment they contemplated that information "... because it was closest to the emergency exit?" Sabo asked tentatively.

"Mhm" Luffy confirmed.

Sabo stared in shock at Ace, who shrugged "Powers in perception"

They walked through the woods until they managed to reach the city Sabo had found on the map, and from there it was a matter of wandering until they found the one open and lit up building, Denny's.

You'd have thought they found they gates of heaven from their expressions. Sabo prayed he had enough to feed them all enough not only to make up for the lost meals, but to last them to the next city. After some time at Denny's they'd get a motel room, get some real rest, a shower for those of them that needed it. But for now, breakfast.

The exhausted hostess had taken one look at them and grabbed three adult menus, not questioning their mud soaked boots, soot covered faces, or even the leaves and twigs in their hair. There were a couple of truckers in a booth near the back, and a small group of partiers at a large table halfway between drunk, hung over, and asleep. Thankfully due to the early hour they got a table to themselves, a large booth by the windows with a wonderful view of the empty parking lot.

Forgoing individual meals they instead decided to order a buffet spread of breakfast food. Sabo thanked his luck stars Ace recommended getting a picture of Luffy's expression when the food came their way, and he'd had his cell-phone out in time because it was certainly worth saving. His wide eyes, his salivating mouth, and dropped jaw. There were even tears of happiness in his eyes, and Sabo swore he saw stars dancing in the boy's pupils.

They'd all dug in ravenously, pancake bits and bacon grease flying everywhere as they all attempted to shove as much food as they could into their mouths. Distantly staff watched on in horror as they all ate like dying men with their last meals. Even Ace, who didn't technically need food, was shoveling it all in as fast he could.

As they left Sabo ended up leaving a 50$ tip, along with a note politely apologizing for the mess and requesting they forget they were ever there.

They rolled into a motel just as check outs began, groggy vacationers and seedy johns piling into mini vans and sports cars. They managed to secure a room near a fire exit _and_ a stairwell, and Sabo thanked his lucky stars the clerk hadn't blinked twice when he made his request.

Sabo managed to wrangle Luffy into a bath, much to Ace's bemusement who only watched on (the unhelpful bastard) as Luffy kicked and splashed, laughing at the top of his lungs in joy as Sabo scrubbed the ash and dirt off of him, soaking the water brown while Luffy played with bubbles.

Warm, clean, and belly full Luffy was already falling asleep in Sabo's arms wrapped in a towel as he was carried out of the bathroom. Sabo reluctantly decided there was no use in forcing underwear on him, and simply got a large T-shirt on him before putting him on the bed, already out like a light.

"I got pictures" Ace grinned, holding up Sabo's flip phone.

"That thing's not dead yet? God bless Nokia, hand it here I need to charge it" Sabo held an arm out without looking, a solid cell-phone planted in his outstretched hand as expected.

"How's your burns" Ace looked over his shoulder as he dug through his bag for the charger, getting the charger in the wall and his phone charging.

"Been better" he replied honestly "We're out of painkillers but I need to change the bandages so help me out"

"Yeah I don't know" Ace backed up reluctantly "Fire demon + burns = bad times for everyone"

A pair of footsteps came down the hall, causing Luffy to stir and stare at the window for a moment, before rolling over in the blankets again. Sabo shrugged, though the tugging on his shoulder burns caused him to wince "We don't have much of choice, these are still the original bandages we put on, and they definitely need to be changed-"

A sudden bang on the door caused them both to jump and whip around, facing the door. For a few seconds neither of them moved, glancing to one another then the door again. Luffy still did not stir.

Sabo whispered below his breath "You grab the bags, I'll get Luffy and-" The banging on the door resumed, this time multiple times hitting the door.

"Fuck it" Ace growled, scooping Luffy out of the bed who gave a distressed sound at being awakened.

"Ace!"  Sabo reprimanded, lunging for his staff "What do we do now?"

"I don't know!" He readjusted Luffy in his arms "You're the one with a plan!"

"You ignored my plan! The plan is gone!" Sabo waved his arms in alarm as the banging began once more.

Suddenly the door gave a final creak, and with an angered groan Sabo placed himself between Ace and Luffy, and the danger. Again. Ace was a useless super powered demon.

Holding their breaths, they braced themselves as the door finally exploded in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter: A not-so-one-sided-fight   
> The most unrealistic part of this chapter is the motel room closer to the coast being more affordable than the one closer to the interior. Jokes aside I hope y'all enjoyed the fight, the banter, and the bonding~~~ This chapter ended up so long because I decided to move some scenes from the last chapter into this chapter because of how long it was, and then deciding to just make this chapter really long ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ Thank you for all of your reviews!!!


	8. Andromeda

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're onto Chapter 8!!! Almost halfway there!!! Warnings at the bottom, enjoy!

For a few very tense seconds nobody said anything. Luffy fell back asleep in Ace's arms, Ace stared at the potential danger in the doorway, and Sabo felt his heart drop.

He released a distressed sound, and gave a quick glance at his still charging cell-phone, and wondered in how many different ways he could die in the next few minutes. Would she make it  fast? Dismemberment always sounded painful but there _was_ something to be said about leaving such a mess behind, of course decapitation was quick and painless, but a bit less messy which wasn't necessarily a bad thing but  getting thrown off the roof was definitely the preferable way to go, flying for his last few seconds of life before meeting a quick end. Luffy wouldn't need to see anything.

"Uh" he backed up a step, earning him precious seconds of life "You.." he patted Ace on the shoulder, who looked Sabo for direction "You take this one" unfortunately his voice squeaked on the last syllable, breaking the tense atmosphere.

"What? Sabo? Who?" Ace, no longer _as_ nervous,  looked at the young woman fuming in the doorway, and the destroyed door on the ground in front of her.

"Help" Sabo whispered as she finally caught sight of him cowering and stormed over, a storm goddess from hell ready to bestow divine punishment.

"Why THE HELL haven't you been answering your cell-phone?" Koala screeched at him, fist raised to strike him down. Ace seemed to calm completely realizing they weren't in any real danger, except for Sabo, and began gently rocking Luffy to keep him calm as Koala still stood between them and the bed.

"Long story, really really long story." He sprinted in a wide circle around her to put the bed between them, for survival. God knew he missed Koala, God knew he was so happy to see her up and about and best of all _okay_ , but he also valued his life and God _knew_ she was a vindictive woman when wronged.

"A _routine banishment! I'll be back before you know it!_ You've been gone for _four_ days!" She chased him around his obstacle, and despite his injuries and everything he'd gone through, Sabo still didn't crave death thus he threw himself onto the bed, crawling over to escape her "A routine banishment isn't _four_ days, you should've been gone for two, _three_ at most. But nooooo you dropped off the edge of the world after day _one_ and didn't pick up since. You didn't check in yesterday so they sent me off to find you, and where are you? In the middle of a city in butt fuck nowhere, with an eleven year old-" suddenly she whipped around, finally remembering the other occupants of the room, to Sabo's relief.

Ace froze as the crazy woman's attention went to him, still rocking Luffy hoping for him to sleep through this woman's hailstorm and potentially Sabo's murder.

".... You're not a human"

"No" Ace replied honestly "He _is_ though" nodding his head at the sleeping boy in his arms .  

"Yeah I guessed" She turned back to Sabo, who'd backed into the furthest corner away from her "Is he a nymph? A Fae?"

"No, and no" he refused to catch her gaze, she'd see the truth in his soul if he made eye contact, he just knew it.

".... A dragon?"

"Nope" he popped the P, hoping she dropped the subject before-

"Oh my god" her voice suddenly dropped an octave, a horrified whisper realizing what exactly she had her back to "he's a demon"

"A TAME demon" Sabo butted in, suddenly realizing the _real_ danger Ace was "Who is helping us cross the country and get the boy, Luffy,  to safety. There haven't been any issues so far."

"Besides your bandaged face you mean?" She asked bluntly, still staring him down unimpressed but no longer actively trying to kill him which was always a plus.

He winced "... that was a misunderstanding that has been sorted. Besides" he smirked at Ace's busted lip and swollen cheek, who flushed in embarrassment "I got him pretty good too"

She came up to him, raising a hand to brush her fingers against  bandages making him flinch at her sudden proximity to his injuries "So what do you have there, boils? Lacerations? Please tell me the skin isn't dissolved"

He knew she was fishing for what type of demon Ace was, and he did his best to avoid her gaze "They're burns"

"Okay" she grabbed her own medic kit from her bag, and god bless that meant she'd have OxyContin "Are we talking electrical? Chemical? You got any salve on there?"

"Some cream yeah" he half replied, avoiding replying. She caught him, staring him down "Burns from a heat source"

"As in..." She pushed.

"Fire" he answered honestly "Fire burns"

Her head whipped up "Fire burns" she confirmed, to which he nodded in displeasure because this was the _exact_ reaction he had been hoping to avoid "Oh my god, Sabo" she turned to Ace, who looked as if he wanted to put Luffy back in the bed but froze at her stare "you're a fire demon?"

"Yeah" he answered unapologetically "Can I put him down, he's pooped"

She nodded in shock, turning back to Sabo "A routine banishment"

"It was routine" he snapped "Until I found the last fire demon in existence"

"Am I really, by the way?" Ace piped up from where he was gently placing Luffy on the comforter, stealing their attention "Like, the last one. I know I haven't seen any others lately, and uh yeah my parents aren't around anymore but like, Seriously?"

"Well I mean" Sabo and Koala looked to each other, and Sabo bit the bullet to continue "Fire demons were thought to be extinct until we met you, because of their value as a power source"

"Humans have been able to summon demons for centuries" Koala continued "But only in the last 100 years or so have we been able to harness the energy of summonings, and demons themselves. It got really bad during the space race, and the cold war, and just wars in general really." She paused remorsefully  "Fire demons inexplicably provided the most energy, and they went extinct from being drained."

Under his layer of ash, Ace paled "Oh" he gently placed Luffy on the bed "Isn't that like, really dangerous? Fire demons aren't nothing I mean" he laughed nervously, gesturing to Sabo "Look at him"

She glared, and Ace gulped apparently only now remembering the danger he was in "Yes" she bit out "Look at him. Look at those burns you gave him. Honestly" she shook her head, returning to the task of removing his bandages, which was very _very_ painful.

Sabo winced as some of them stuck and pulled on the sensitive skin "It was dangerous, but people risked it. Because people are idiots" he offered in explanation to Ace, who still looked upset and bewildered.

He just shook his head, sitting himself next to the gently snoring Luffy.

\---

 At some point in the painful looking rebandaging process Luffy woke up, and so Ace distracted himself by playing with him.

It wasn't that he was particularly mad at her abrupt and rather rude intrusion (okay, he was a little mad, how were they supposed to explain the busted down door? Now it was cold) but he was certainly irritated at her _attitude_. She didn't like him, and she was very obvious, not speaking directly to him since the first conversation, talking in whispers to Sabo so Ace couldn't hear, glaring at him whenever she caught sight of him. God it was like dealing with Sabo from when they first met all over again.

Luffy, the angel, didn't mind her presence at all. He chatted aimlessly with Ace, mostly ignoring the woman in the corner working on Sabo. Ace was loathe to admit that she had a much better idea of what she was doing than they did, the bandages were tighter but not constricting and much cleaner. Sabo seemed to be most relieved at having more painkillers, and Ace ignored the tightness in his chest. It was a mistake to attack Sabo, but he had no way of knowing that at the time. He refused to feel guilty.

As per normal Luffy behaviour, Luffy decided on a new type of game for the two of them to play. Ace was a bear, and Luffy a deer. The two of them had to work together to steal the "berries" (the wooden beads of Sabo, who had yet to put them back on after removing them to give Koala better access to his burns) without getting caught by the hunters (Sabo and Koala) Sabo seemed to find it funny, Koala not so much.

"These are important artifacts, weapons to be used, our sword and shield _NOT_ -" she grabbed a string of white beads from Luffy's sneaking giggling hands "Berries or toys to be played with" she huffed.

"Oh come on" Sabo smacked Ace's own sneaking hand, which was moving towards his precious arbutus beads "Lighten up a little bit Koala, they're just having some fun"

Watching the two interact was very amusing, in Ace's opinion. At first glance it almost seemed like they hated each other, Sabo disrespected her and she looked ready to throttle him at all times, but upon closer inspection their comradery was rather obvious. It was in the gentle and meticulous way she applied his bandages, fussing over medications and creams. It was how Sabo teased and complied, but never pushed too far , eyes gently watching her work with a warmth and happiness.

They trusted each other, above all else. Their bond was strong from years of relying on one another, of battles fought back to back protecting and defending one another. Ace liked to think he and Sabo were in the beginnings of a similar relationship.

"Everyone's really worried about you" Koala mumbled, eyes fixed on her hands wrapping around Sabo's eye. Even someone with as limited medical knowledge as Ace knew Sabo would never see out of the damaged socket again "Dragon wanted to send me the moment you stopped checking in, but you always pull this stuff and Inazuma convinced him nothing was wrong"

"I bet Ivankov knew nothing was wrong" Sabo replied, doing his best to imitate a statue for Koala's working hands.

"Incorrect" she interjected "Ivankov was probably the most worried of us all. I don't think they wanted you leaving at all for this mission, once they knew where it was"

"Isn't that odd? I mean Dragon knew this attack happened almost immediately because he had people watching the facility, but there was nothing suspicious about it at all. Before this whole incident I mean"

"Yeah and Ivankov, who's barely coherent on a good day, was suddenly very interested in this whole mission. And you know they kept mumbling about that kid of theirs"

Sabo groaned "Fuck, and here I thought we might be past that"

"Yeah, we all thought" she winced "But then again we should have guessed the whole American government facility thing would set them off again"

"Alright" Ace interjected from across the room, coming over to sit with them "I'll admit, I'm being nosy and eavesdropping, and now I'm curious. Kid? Facility" He waved his hands in the air "Explain"

"Well" Koala looked to Sabo, then Luffy playing by himself near the washroom, then finally to Ace "Ivankov is one of our top cultists. They're from Russia, which as you know is a hotbed of supernatural activity"

"I believe the term Sabo used was minefield" Ace corrected with a smirk thrown Sabo's way, who flushed with embarrassment, glaring at the teasing demon.

Koala waved their shenanigans away "Not incorrect, now don't me wrong Ivankov is a wonderful person but they're a bit" she twirled her finger next to her head.

"Nuts" Sabo supplied "Crazy, Loco, a few marbles short of a full deck?"

"Yeah" she confirmed "They've never been to the states before, but they insist they have a son the American government stole away"

Sabo rubbed his chin "I don't even think it's physically possible for them to have kids, right? I mean I don't make it a point to know the details of Ivankov's genitalia but they don't have breasts, and I heard shit's all messed up down there"

Koala smacked him, on his unburnt arm thankfully, though clearly it still hurt if his whining was any indication "Rude, Sabo, but not incorrect" she sighed.

"Wait" Ace realized "Is Ivankov that person in the photo you showed Luffy at the park? You think Luffy is this person's kid?"

Sabo huffed "I considered it a possibility, but Luffy didn't recognize them so I dismissed the idea"

"What if you sent this person a photo of Luffy?"

Both hunters froze, staring at each other for several long moments before looking to him in bewilderment.

"What?" he defended "It sounds like a solid theory to me. Supernatural cultist has supernatural kid, government takes him and ships cultist across the sea, far away from being able to intervene. Luffy even..." Ace's eyes widened "Luffy mentioned wanting to go to Russia"

"Shit" Sabo swore "You're right, he said his mom was going to take him there"

"Who knows how young he was when he was taken, he may not remember them..." Koala wondered aloud. In unison the three of them looked to the boy making rocket ship noises while playing with some of Sabo's beads. The blond looked in his bag "how did he..."

"Hey Luffy" Koala used her sweetest voice, which caught the boy's attention "Can I take a picture of you for a friend of mine?"

They boy hopped up "Okay!" Koala quickly whipped out her cell phone camera as Luffy gave her his biggest smile "Cheese!"

The three of them hovered over her shoulder "And sent"

\-----

Hours passed with no reply, leading them to believe maybe they were wrong after all

"I hope we didn't melt their brain or something" Sabo groaned, lying on the bed now that Koala was satisfied with his medical situation "I mean, what if they really _don't_ have a kid, and we've just made the whole delusion worse?"

Koala sat on the floor, texting on her phone leaning against the bed "I really doubt we could make it worse. We've all seen that nursery room Dragon pretends doesn't exist."

Sabo groaned again "Fuck it's so creepy. They just go in there, mumbling about their kid"

"You know what they say, the craziest are the best" Koala supplied.

"Not true" Ace inputted from his spot leaning against the wall, Luffy sitting on his feet and still playing with the beads Sabo hadn't the heart to take away. Luffy probably, hopefully, understood their value and rarity "Crazy cultists aren't cautious cultists, and if you aren't cautious you're fucked"

"Dangerous demon summonings 101: What to avoid and how not to die with a real live fire demon" Sabo turned over to eye the demon leaning against the wall "Glad we have you to help"

Ace snorted "You should be, you'd be dead without me. Fucker"

"Pretty sure I'm dead _with_ you as well, useless" Sabo smirked "Or will you actually help in a fight at some point?"

Ace growled, looking ready to come over to Sabo and show just how good he was in a fight but Luffy sat firmly planted on his feet, forcing him to still lest he dislodge the poor boy. Koala smacked Sabo's leg, eliciting another pained whine "Cut it out, You both have work you need to do. Namely, letting me know you're plan"

"We're going to Russia" Luffy helpfully supplied from his spot on Ace's feet, still fiddling with the beads making dinosaur noises. Or it might have still been rocket ships noises, it was hard to tell.

Ace dragged a hand down his face "No, no we're not, we're going to a beach to train Luffy cuz you know, ocean, water, hidden" he waved a hand dismissively.

Koala peered up at Sabo "You're not bringing him to the Revolutionaries?"

Sabo rolled his eyes (eye) "We've had the Whitebeards Vs Revolutionaries argument too many times to reach an agreement. Luffy decided the beach was a good middle ground."

"Whitebeards?" She asked incredulously "Those crazies?"

"I know!" Sabo agreed "He thought they were better than our organization that teaches safety"

"That teaches _paranoia"_ Ace corrected "Luffy never would have understood his power under your control, you'd have just used him like the damn government"

"We would _protect_ him, look" Sabo shook his head "Like I said, we've had this argument before. The beach was the best conclusion we could reach. It's not that bad when you think about it"

Koala hummed noncommittally, rubbing her chin in thought.

The rest of their day passed similarly, Koala ordering them room service around lunch time much to their delight, and generally passing the time relaxing and recovering from the past couple stressful days. Eventually the sun began to dip below the horizon, and Koala had to leave to check back in.

"You three can have your adventure, but some of us aren't blowing off our responsibilities" Koala reprimanded from the doorway, bag in hand "I'll pay for your night here if you promise to keep me updated on your adventure. Text me when you reach the beach, text me if you have any problems, text me if you _don't_ have any problems, text me updates on his training. Just" She huffed, glaring at her uncooperative partner "Keep in contact, okay?"

Gently, without aggravating his burns, Sabo hugged Koala goodbye "I'll probably remember to sometimes text you, maybe"

Koala smacked his shoulder "That's the most I can hope for, I guess. Just" she sighed "Stay safe okay?"

He smiled reassuringly "I have no intention of seeking out trouble, believe it or not"

She shook her head "I don't believe it, but at least you have the most powerful fire demon in  existence by your side"

"The _only_ fire demon in existence" Ace reminded them, Luffy tiredly waving goodbye while clutching Ace's pant leg. Despite his earlier nap, it'd been a long couple days and Luffy looked very ready to sleep again.

"Makes you the best, I need to get going. I wasn't kidding about responsibilities" Koala hugged her best friend, whispering under her breath "Take care, you doofus"

"You too, cult smasher" he grinned, the two of them separating. The three boys waved her goodbye as she descended the motel stairway into the office to fulfill her promise of paying for their night.

"She's fucking crazy" Ace said fondly, following Sabo back into the motel room to put Luffy back to bed.

"Yeah" Sabo agreed "It's why we work so well together."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter: mentions of genocide, treatment of burns.   
> I'm hoping you're all enjoying this fanfiction as much as I am!! if you're at all curious about the chapter titles, most of the time they're songs that inspired the chapter, or helped me write, but sometimes they're just songs I listened to as I post. The mystery is unfolding! Next chapter we'll be taking a little break from our boys to explore some much needed backstory, and we'll be halfway through the story! (as well as on the most controversial... the warning list will be long for that one) I hope you're all still enjoying, feel free to leave me a review what you think! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far (especially you YJV, you da best!)


	9. Colours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //shows up eleven days late with Starbucks. I'm alive? I promise nothing happened, life just got busy and this chapter is really important and both my of my Beta readers bailed so I was self editing and it's the longest and most important chapter. Like, this chapter inspired the whole story important. This chapter was originally going to be its own story but I decided to just smoosh it on to this one important. I'm still not entirely happy with it but its been nearly two weeks so fuck it enjoy  
> Also for clarifications sake, a single italicized word is for emphasis, however entire lines of italicized dialogue are being spoken in Russian. The scenes of this chapter (if you can't guess) are not entirely in chronological order, however i hope it isn't too difficult to figure out when things are happening (I'll post an event timeline in the bottom notes, along with warnings)

_You were Red_

_and you liked me because I was Blue_

_\----_

Heels clicked on linoleum floors as they marched past dozens of people milling about, some sprinting in urgency, others leaning against the wall chatting with friends or colleagues. A few heads turned at their appearance, but most politely kept to themselves. The others had seen them enough times wandering the halls, chatting with Dragon, chatting with themself, and going over assignments to know that while their appearance was strange, it wasn't changing anytime soon.

They clutched their cell-phone in a shaking, gloved hand, marching with no definite location in mind on where to go, eyes scanning the hallway for a place to hide out and just _think_.

There was a small, dispersed crowd in the halls of the base as there usually was. It was by no means a small building, but they were also no small organization and there were always people with places to be, or nothing to do. Cultists and hunters lingering in the halls, chatting, and watching, and whispering.

It didn't really matter how many people politely turned away, or how many people almost treated them with respect, because there were always at least a few who sneered and whispered.

_"What the fuck is he wearing?"_

_"A  shemale? I don't really know"_

_"Fuckin cultist"_

They loved their heels, and their makeup, and their hair, and especially the clicking sound of heels on floor. It was intimidating, powerful, and always announced their presence. They could never, would never, hide themself away from those who didn't understand.  

_"Who is that?"_

_"Ivankov, one of the best cultists the organization has. Totally nuts though"_

Nuts, Psycho, Cookoo, Crazy, Insane. Ivankov had heard it all, so many times in fact, they were unfazed. The people could use whatever insulting words they wanted for their mental state, it didn't matter to Ivankov. The people were just ants.

Their shoulder collided with that of probably the only person they could ever miss. Someone who understood better than any what this was like.

He clutched their shoulder, preventing them from running off "Are you alright" Inazuma demanded calmly, not rising their voice but giving no room to avoid the question.

"I don't know" They replied honestly, a shaking hand still clutching the cell phone.

"You'll be alright" He assured, because sometimes Inazuma knew things and his entire life he'd been telling them-

_It won't be good_

But now he was saying... he was saying it would be alright. They choked back tears, barely managing to whisper "Will it be good?"

There was a pause for several, long uninterrupted seconds of the air crackling almost unnoticeable, of the slight scent of ozone to permeate the air before it all vanished as quickly as it came.

"I think" he managed to whisper back, a slight strain to his voice "It will be good"

They nodded, whispering a thanks before continuing down the halls, ignoring the whispers that followed them wherever they went, still desperately clutching the cell phone in one gloved hand.

\----

Her name was Ivanka, she was 20 years old, and her life had never been easy.

Life wasn't easy in rural Russia, the summers were hot, the winters bitterly cold, and the government just didn't care about them. Her parents were absent, always working and never there to parent. Her mother wasn't there to give her advice on boys, her father didn't teach her self-defense. No one sat with her late into the night helping with homework, or listening to her problems.

They weren't there to reprimand her when she dropped out of high school, and they weren't there when she packed her belongings into a box and left. For the longest time she wondered if they even  noticed she'd left at all, or if they'd ever even known they had a daughter.

She'd tried to get her GED, but couldn't manage it while working full time to pay her own bills. Poor money management meant she soon didn't have enough money to survive. She lost her home, lost her job, and she was soon starving on the streets.

She tried again and again to work to survive, but in her small town everyone knew who she was. They knew her family and her history, but most importantly they knew her reputation. The girl who dropped out and ran away. She spent her last couple dollars on a train ticket to a small town a city over, but a new city and new people didn't change her lack of skills or experience, and had no more luck there than she'd had at home.

It was in this new city, however, that she met a community that welcomed her with open arms. Men, women, and every identity in between and outside the binary. People like her, with absent parents, little luck, and little applicable skills in the capitalist world they lived in. Some chose it out of necessity, some simply pursued it as a career path.

Sex work was where she found a home, and a family.  

It was a place where Ivanka finally felt valued. Sure it was dangerous and illegal, and sex workers often went missing, but she still felt more alive than she ever had before. She had found people who cared, people who advised her on the safest and most profitable parts of the city to hit.

One person in particular had been the most helpful.

" _I think this is a terrible idea_ " Inazuma advised in her usual deadpan voice. The genderfluid person was more expressive as a woman, but still rocked a wonderful resting bitch face on the best of days.

" _Ina~_ " she whined from her spot in front of the mirror, eyeing her cheap makeup and wondering if it was satisfactory for the night. It was, the makeup hardly mattered at all " _This is the opportunity of a lifetime. I could get a green card, I could get into the US social services, I could actually earn a degree_ "

Inazuma twirled the glass of wine in hand from where she perched sitting on the vanity, leaning her shoulder on the mirror Ivanka admired " _I think there is a reason they're only asking for sex workers. None of the normal citizens working normal jobs were offered, only us.."_ She paused, looking directly at her friend of many years _"It's not going to be good, but I won't stop you. It will simply mean taking a different path in life than what staying here would mean_ "

Iva considered that. Inazuma sometimes knew things, she knew the other often drabbled in the supernatural and voodoo that gave her insights and a eerie, if vague, look into the future. She had an unparalleled gift.

Ivanka pulled out a brush to tame her brown locks, often so frizzy it nearly formed an afro without her permission. With a huff she threw it into a ponytail " _I think it's work the risk, maybe they want to help improve our lives. Maybe they know how hard we have it. And honestly_ " she turned to face the other woman " _I think a project with only other sex workers sounds just fine to me_ "

Inazuma said nothing more, sipping her wine.

\---

Ivankov found themselves in the nursery again.

They often ended up here when they were upset, even if they didn't mean to. It was as unhealthy as it was a comfort, filled with baby toys and a crib. A dresser full of baby clothes, a box of diapers and wipes. A change table. A rattle. All things they should have thrown out long ago, shouldn't have bought in the first place.

Why their hunters thought it fit to stare was beyond them. Was it strange? Yes. Was it unhealthy? Probably. Did they care?

They _knew_ it was unhealthy, and very detrimental to their recovery by holding on to these poor reminders of what they'd had. Reminders of what they'd _lost_.

But they all said it was better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all, right?

There were days when they wanted to just curl up and do nothing. Days when they wanted to rip out their hair, scream at the top of their lungs, demand justice. From what? From who? The universe, or god maybe.

They didn't want to say they deserved better, they didn't feel entitled to better, but they certainly wished for something different. Their life had never been easy, nothing had ever been handed to them on a silver platter or come without god honest work and mistakes. They'd been born with little privileges, and little advantages. If some were born with a silver spoon in their mouths, theirs was a rusted shiv.

They curled up in the flower print armchair, protecting themselves against the whispers outside the room, the muffled nervous laughs. The others didn't want to laugh at the crazy, but everyone else did it so surely it was okay? Besides who sat inside an empty nursery every day?

_"Yeah she's- he's- whatever always in there. You know, the best cultist we have but totally off the rocker"_

_"The craziest are the best"_

Not crazy, not insane, just a little ill. A little (very oh so very) hurt, in need of a little help.

But all anyone wanted to do was point and laugh.

\----

Ivanka had been very excited to be in America, especially with so many people like her. Other sex workers, who'd had it hard and worked harder to make a better lives for themselves.

Of course they'd all had an idea of the work they'd be doing, the offer had been exclusive and under the table. If you only hire sex workers, then it's obvious what you want.

A few had thought maybe to run, having valid second thoughts, what if they wanted something strange? Painful, or maybe even fatal? The words of her sisters had been too reminiscent of Inazuma's warning words before she left, leaving a creeping cold tendril of worry down her back and into her breast. She was coming for a better life, a chance to turn things around. Get a home to herself, maybe get her actual GED. Maybe even find love. She didn't want to fuck it up, and she prayed to anyone listening that it wasn't all a lie.

But everyone's worries had been sated when they'd met with the men in suits who greeted them as the plane landed. A first class private plane, exclusive just for those involved in the project. They'd landed at a private airport, with no one around except for the staff involved. It _was_ suspicious how under the table it was, but she didn't care. She'd gone into this knowing what she was getting into, and her entire life had been under the table. This was nothing new.

The men introduced themselves as Sengoku, Garp, and Vegapunk. Garp was going to be their head of security, if they ever felt endangered by outside sources they needed only to speak to him. Vegapunk was the head of the project, of the sciences and procedures. A few nervous glances were exchanged at that, what exactly had they gotten into?

Caroline edged closer to where she was standing, the transwoman shooting her nervous glances " _I knew we'd be doing something strange here, but this is crazier than I ever imagined_ " she whispered discretely.

" _I know what you mean_ " Ivanka replied to her friend. The two of them hadn't been particularly close before joining this project, however upon discovering they were both coming they'd become quick friends. Neither of them underestimated the safety in having friends, and numbers.

Upon catching them whispering, another transwoman from Moscow who they'd met on the private jet came over. " _Do you think this is safe? There's security everywhere"_ Elizabeth whispered under her breath, eyeing the gun wielding guards off the side of the runway " _I didn't think this was going to be so... so..."_ she trailed off, unease dominating every inch of her stance.

" _It's too late to back out now_ " Ivanka reminded them, reaching her hands down to grip them tightly for reassurance " _We just have to believe everything will be alright_ "

They all nodded, turning their nervous attention back to their hosts.

Sengoku was the head of it all. Everyone reported to him, every operation was signed and approved by him. Nothing happened, no one moved, and not a paper was signed without his knowledge and approval.

They were then brought to the facility in buses for the experiments to begin. The three of them remained together hand in hand for the entire ride, Ivanka and Caroline sitting side by side with Elizabeth across the aisle. The drove for what felt like hours, seeing nothing but passing trees, blurred by the speed. They never saw a single city, nor a single car.

 The experiments were nothing serious, just some plants to ingest and some exercises to perform. It was mostly observation, nothing invasive. They'd be staggering the starts in several groups, to monitor the progress better.  

Caroline was put in the first group, Elizabeth in the sixth, and Ivanka in the seventh group. The very last group to begin. Once they received their group assignments Caroline took the two of them aside.

" _I'll be in the first batch_ " She stated, to which they both nodded in confirmation " _Which means if anything goes wrong I'll be the first to know_ "

A heavy pit sunk in Ivanka's stomach at this news, that something _could_ go wrong. She was already shaking in nervousness from what they'd learned of the experiments. This wasn't what they had signed up for, this wasn't the work they had expected to do. They were undocumented immigrants being used as lab rats and they were in very real danger.

" _If I tell you two to stop, you stop do you understand?_ " She met both of their eyes, staring them down " _Do you? You're in some of the last batches. If something goes wrong I will know right away, and it could save you both if you stop in time. Do you understand?"_

Elizabeth nodded, nervous tears in her eyes while Ivanka shook her head " _Nothing will go wrong, we will be fine stop talking silly_ "

" _Ivanka!_ " She snapped " _Listen to me: These American men lied to us to lure us here and we are in danger. There is without a doubt we could get sick, and we could die. I will do everything in my power to protect you two, do you understand?_ "

This time, with tears of her own, she nodded.

After their conversation, settled in the massive dorms to hold them all, They wondered why they'd been brought to a power research station for a project like this.

Weeks passed without anything substantial happening. Because she was a part of the final group to start she did virtually nothing for days on end while the scientists watched the other girls closely for anything strange, any symptoms. None of them ever mentioned anything out of the ordinary happening, just that the plants and herbs tasted strange, but not necessarily bad.

Elizabeth and Ivanka kept a close eye on Caroline, nervous about the tales she told of plants she'd never seen before, of being told to stare at a blank wall for hours on end while they monitored her brainwaves, and of all the poking and prodding they did. Neither of the girls wanted to start these trials, but their times were coming up quick.

Despite the harrowing stories, and chocking air of nervousness that permeated the entire facility, she'd found these weeks better than anything she'd ever experienced before. There were reliable meals three times a day, safe busy work to do (such as gardening, what a lovely little past time) that was without the worry of an enraged customer cutting her life short. It may have been a bit boring, and terrifying, but it was safe, and she could almost convince herself she wouldn't trade it for anything.

But that was when an interesting distraction presented itself.

He was young, significantly younger than her but not young enough to be considered a child anymore. 16, on the cusp of adulthood, and full of temper and determination with an eager need to prove himself to the world. He was mostly ignored by the staff, a son of one of the security of the facility. Ignored by his father, ignored by the facility, and largely ignored by the world.

She found herself drawn to him. She saw much of herself in the teen, his loneliness and need to prove to the world he existed. She wanted to comfort him, she wanted to parent him, she wanted to be with him.

As it turned out, he wanted to be with her too.

\----

_But you touched me, and suddenly I was a lilac sky_

_\----_

"There have been reports of a demon outbreak in Siberia, which I want at least a level C team or above to deal with. Strange weather phenomena in Angola may be the work of demons, or perhaps cultists. I'd like a G level team to scout it and report back, we'll move on with that once we have more information. The team sent to Philippines is late reporting back, so I want an A level team following up"

This was where he was meant to be, Ivankov knew. Dragon was a born leader, organizing and delegating a worldwide organization in perfect secrecy was play to him, but also his purpose. He knew exactly where everyone was, when they deserved to move up a level and when they needed more training. He himself grew and improved with the revolutionaries, to always be the leader they needed and deserved.

They sat next to him, an honorary guest in this meeting with the other tops of the revolutionaries. Ivankov didn't necessarily need to be there,  they led and delegated the various cultists they'd recruited but this meeting only concerned the hunters. However Dragon made a point to include Ivankov in every meeting as he knew how the others disrespected them, and he always did his best to reinforce in everyone that Ivankov was his second in command. They'd been there since the beginning, and they'd helped build it all from the start. Unfortunately Dragon simply couldn't control the thoughts of his hunters, and he couldn't ban whispers or gossip.

They still clutched their phone in hand. They kept it shut. They couldn't look at it again, there was just such a strong chance it wasn't real. Sometimes they saw things that weren't there, things they wished were there, things that were there that no one else could see.

The nursery was the only place that all they saw was the real.

Dragon ended the meeting, sub commanders off to send their chosen teams across the world. Kuma stayed behind, Ivankov's equal counterpart as head of the hunters. The two of them were going over reports, information relayed back from low level scout teams all over the world.

Should they tell him?

Kuma and Dragon said their farewells, each off to their own responsibilities.

"Ivankov?" Dragon inquired, halfway out the door "We'll need blessings and beads for the teams I mentioned, the G level  team will leave first followed by the A team. Do you need any more wood?"

Ivankov rubbed their chin in thought, feigning calmness despite the storm consuming their mind "Inazuma mentioned we needed more Balsa wood, and if you could retrieve the sap of Arbutus we'd be in good standing for the next several months"

He nodded, turning the exit the room "I'll pass that on, although I can't make any promises for the Balsa"

"Bah" Ivankov stood to follow him, shaking their head in faux disgust "That's nothing new. The day I have full stock of everything I need is the day I retire from all this"

Dragon turned his head to send a sharp smirk their way "And that is why you will never have a full stock"

They released a cutting laugh, a nervous release of pent energy from the day and their interaction. This was a song and dance they'd been playing for 8 years, nothing new at all.

\----

Desperate to prove himself to the world as living, but also as a man, it was no surprise they'd began an affair. In secret, away from the peering eye of his father and her friends, as well as the watchful observations of the scientists. Ivanka had finally started the program with the others, only a week after Elizabeth. It had been months now and everything was still fine with Caroline, leaving Ivankov to agree with her assessments. It felt strange, and a little off, but nothing invasive. Nothing dangerous yet.

The strange romance didn't really feel real to her, a relationship with this boy desperate to be a man. He wanted to grow up, he wanted to be real, and he wanted to change things.

_"Don't do it"_ she wanted to tell him _"Wait a little longer, the world is going nowhere_ "

But he wouldn't hear her, for he was 16 years of energy and determination, of anger and loneliness desperate to explode into the world.

She always used to joke with Inazuma about how the girls claimed to be able to tell what kind of customer they'd be dealing with by looking into their eyes. Ivankov had never experienced that, all she'd ever seen was lust and greed, and a desperate want for power.

But his eyes were different, his eyes shone with dedication and bravery, a boldness and dare to the world. He would persevere through any hardship, any challenge thrown his way. He was fire and brimstone, a heart of purpose for the world.

She was so drawn to him, and he to her but not for the same reasons. She never deluded herself with thoughts of love or a lifetime together, for she knew in her he saw only another challenge, a way to prove the world he existed. He would become great things eventually, but for now he was but a boy screaming into the hurricane of life.

It was only when she was accompanying Garp to the labs with the other girls of her group for another round of tests that everything changed.

He was outside the building, near the fence separating the facility from the forest staring deeply into the trees (what do you see in these woods you have grown up around? Are they still as full of mystery as when you first laid your eyes upon them or are they nothing but wood and pine to you now) when he caught eye of them. His face had dissolved into scowl, as it often did whenever he saw Garp, but his expression quickly twisted once he caught sight of her. At the time she wasn't entirely  sure why.

"You're here. With them"

It was only after, meeting in their usual place, that he'd told her his father wasn't security, he was Garp himself. Dragon had been raised here in the facility his entire life, his mother left before he could remember her. His father was too dedicated to his job, and didn't have time to properly raise a son which left an ache in her chest.

_They weren't there to reprimand her when she dropped out of high school, and they weren't there when she packed her belongings into boxes and left._

Every aspect of his life was this facility. Every person he knew, every morsel of food he ate, every piece of clothing he wore was Kaigun made and branded. Dragon wasn't just anger and determination, and a need to prove himself. He was all that and more, bottled up by years of no control and no hope. A fire boiling him to the point of bursting.

As it turned out, Ivanka was his boiling point, a woman he'd met and loved, but also something new and interesting. Something from outside it all, something not from the influence of his father, or the facility. Something he hadn't known his entire life.

She wasn't sure how he thought she wasn't involved with all that and more. Did he think she lived in the forest? The tiny town 2 hours away? Perhaps he was in a sick mix of denial and hope, but Ivanka was all too comfortable with the crushing fist of reality.

He'd ran, and as she'd later discovered he'd completely fled the facility. Garp had been in a panic, sending guards late into the night to search the forest for him without success until Sengoku had eventually overthrown his order, pulling everyone back when it became obvious they wouldn't find him.

To her surprise no one, not even weeks later, discovered the connection between her and the runaway teen. Caroline and Elizabeth had given her knowing looks, her two closest friends at this facility certainly had not missed her slipping away at night and at odd hours of the day all alone, but as she showed no signs of grief at his quick departure they ultimately concluded that whatever had happened had passed, and had left no damage in its wake. She went through life as normal like nothing had changed. Their affair had been short, but not one she regretted.

She wouldn't know it for months, but something fundamental _had_ changed.

It started with the first batch, with _Caroline, and_ the girls who'd kicked off the entire project. They started getting sick, normal winter illnesses at first. Headaches, flu, and nausea. Caroline had immediately insisted something was wrong, that they both needed to immediately stop the dosages and fake whatever they could but they were in denial. They cared for her through the vomiting and together prayed whatever it was would pass soon.

But then it progressed to symptoms outside the realm of normal, nose bleeds, hallucinations, and  complete inability to ingest and retain food. She and Elizabeth were terrified, wiping an endless stream of blood from their friend's face as they tried to get her to eat something, all while she ranted and raved of demons in the walls. She begun losing weight, fast, and needed to be put on IV fluids and nutrients but it didn't seem to help.

Then, much to all of their panic, it spread to the second batch. Then the third.

Elizabeth was terrified and wanted to start faking her participation right away but it didn't matter. The scientists immediately cut everyone off the herbs and experiments, but it was too late.

Ivanka and Elizabeth held Caroline's hands as she screamed nonsense in her bed within the infirmary, a bloody foam escaping her mouth as she made horrible noises. Both she and Elizabeth were sobbing, clutching each other and clutching Caroline, begging her to pull through. Caroline passed away within a week of her symptoms appearing, Ivankov and Elizabeth by her side though she did not know it.

The women of the first batch all died within days of each other, and by that point the girls of the second batch were all in a similar state. Foaming at the mouth, screaming nonsense, begging for mercy. Begging to be killed.

As the symptoms spread up the batches it became obvious it was too late, their reactions were too delayed for them to predict their predicament. They soon shut them all in a building together, stopped treating their symptoms, stopped visiting and monitoring them. They all followed the same pattern of their sisters in the first batch anyways.

For weeks Elizabeth and Ivanka merely clutched each other in grief and fear, mourning their sister gone and all those following in her path. There were too many of them sick to bother helping, girls lying on the floor screaming nonsense, some slamming into the doors to attempt escape, some slamming into walls. Slamming into nothing, screaming nothing.

Ivanka finally broke when Elizabeth became sick as well, her strong and beautiful sister sobbing as the headaches and nausea began to take root, rapidly becoming nosebleeds and hallucinations. She desperately held her sister as she hid from beings that were not there, Elizabeth sobbing in fear at the phantoms she saw.

When Ivanka's sisters in the seventh batch, her batch, the final ones to start the herbs got sick they all cried, and Ivanka realized Inazuma was right. She'd thought they might be safe, having received the least dosages, but the poisoning had presented itself too late to save any of them.

As her sister's symptoms progressed through the regular pattern, Ivanka desperately clutched her, and only prayed that Elizabeth would have passed on by the time hers began.

\----

They sat on the table, Inazuma handing out beads and enchantments they'd portioned out earlier. The G team had already left, and now the A team was here getting suited up while the B team chosen for the Siberia mission impatiently stood off to the side. It was their fault for showing up hours earlier than they should have when Inazuma was in the middle of training his new recruit.

Bon Clay was a good kid, a little strange but very eager to learn from them. He'd been running with a bad cult for a long time, an older man recruiting people too young to know any better. They'd disbanded the group, and Bon had stuck with them eager for direction and a source to learn from. He'd nearly died in the takeover, and Ivankov admired the perseverance they saw in his soul.

Bon Clay had also proved to not only be respectful of Ivankov's preferred pronouns, but also very good at ignoring the disrespectful whispers of others. He'd once politely asked if there was anything he could do to help them, and the poor 15 year old had actually looked nervous for the first time since they'd met him.

They'd patted him on the head and told him to keep up the good work.

Ivankov didn't think it entirely a coincidence when he started experimenting around with makeup a few weeks later. Inazuma had been appalled and insisted on teaching him proper makeup techniques. Ivankov taught him how to style his hair into easy but flawless styles. Just because their hair was a frizzy purple disaster didn't mean his had to be.

And of course the whispers had only increased then.

_"holy fuck, do you think it's contagious?"_

_"Is dressing like a tranny a cultist thing?"_

_"Is it a hazing ritual?"_

_"Thank god I signed up for the hunters instead. What a bullet dodged"_

Bon Clay proved to be just as good at ignoring the whispers about himself as the whispers about Ivankov. He held his head high and proud, and the cultists all stood in his support.

They may have been a strange bunch, but they were a community that welcomed him with open arms. Men, women, and every identity in between and outside the binary. People like him, with absent parents, little luck, and a very specific set of skills.

Ivankov tried their best not to reminded of a similar community from long ago.

"Ivankov?" The wonderfully exuberant yet, at times, terrible shy boy asked tentatively "What are those bags for?"

There were two backpacks in the corner, stuffed to the seam with supplies looking ready to burst. It wasn't every day you saw someone needing _that_ many  supplies for a mission, and he was right to question it. Ivankov just didn't need to reply.

"It's nothing" they waved, guilt gnawing at their stomach for blowing the eager boy off, but reminding themself it was an absolute necessity to keep this under wraps "A side project for myself, go get those impatient B team over here so we can their negative stink out of here"

He looked like he wanted to push the matter and get the answers he deserved, but he was a bright boy and sometimes, like the rest of them although it was rare for him at this point, just _knew_ when it was a bad idea to do something.

And so he waved it off and went over the uncomfortable hunters, and Ivankov clutched the cell-phone tighter in their hand.

\-----

She didn't want to live like this.

It'd taken weeks for her sisters to crumble around her, dying from supernatural substances battling their natural bodies, an immune system never designed to fight something like this. It was literal hell, helping her sisters as they puked blood, descended into hallucinatory fevers, screaming at things that weren't there. She could only watch on as they all begged for death.

And through it all she protected Elizabeth. She held her as seizures began, a symptom not apparent in the others, and fiercly hugged her when she tried running into the walls for escape (some of them had begun doing this, and hadn't stopped until their heads cracked open on impact) she sat on Elizabeth's hands when she tried to claw out her eyes, and calmly brushed her back when she was calm and terrified.

One by one, day by day, they all died around. Falling into comatose states and drowning in their own blood, their bodies tricked into rejecting their very life.

Elizabeth was among the last to pass on, and with her death Ivanka felt her very being break. She couldn't bring herself to move from her positions cradling Elizabeth's head, golden curls spilling over her lap covered in dried blood.

It was only when she sat finally alone amongst the bodies that they finally unlocked the doors. Hazmat suits escorted her out, gently removing her sister's body from her, and took her to an empty quarantine dining room. There they fed her for the first time in weeks, and quietly observed. She sobbed into a chicken broth, her sisters and the dozens that had come with them had all eaten meals together there, sharing gossip and tales of families waiting for them and lovers coming to find them. They had joked and laughed, dreaming of a future that wasn't to come.

 And now they were dead, their very existence erased from the world.  It was so heartbreakingly lonely in that empty sterile dining room, surrounded by the men who had ruined her life, staring her down like a rabid dog.

After the meal they took her to a makeshift laboratory set up inside the same building, hazmat wearing doctors poking and prodding her, taking measurements of her skeletal starved form. Checking temperatures, and recording whatever data they found relevant.

In the midst of at all, she hadn't realized that she'd never once shown the symptoms of her sisters.

They put her on fluids, and kept her in the makeshift laboratory. A rotation of guards and doctors, all in hazmat suits, watched her around the clock. Waiting for her to show symptom, waiting for her to die. Eventually they cracked, they took fluid samples, they fed her more actual food, and let her walk around.

She was pregnant.

3 months along, meaning it happened nearly half a month before the others started dying and everything went into quarantine. No one had had a chance to realize what happened before it all went to shit.

"It's probably the only reason you're alive"

She clutched her abdomen, slightly swollen but nowhere near a noticeable or abnormal level. This child, her son she knew, saved her life. He took on her burden, shared the poison that would have killed her. Because she was the last to receive the poison, because she was pregnant, she was alive.

_Inazuma... you knew didn't you. You knew my story would not end here, simply take a different path than if I were to stay... that's what you said wasn't it._

"Now while we must insist you bear the child, we will not force you to keep it" They'd deemed her clean, not contagious, and safe to interact with in close quarters. All three of the heads of this sick experiment had met with her to discuss the situation. Vegapunk looked unaffected, he was the head of the procedures and he probably knew this outcome was not only a possibility, but very likely. Sengoku looked troubled, but professional. Garp was the only who gave the air of a deeply disturbed man, did he know?

"The chances of this child not being unaffected by the experiment are... low to say the least" Vegapunk explained "We'd like to observe it's development, see how it was affected"

"Of course you will be compensated" Garp offered "An apartment separate from this facility, a safe place to raise your baby"

Ivanka furrowed her brow, clearing her throat of a sob trying to escape "My English is... not good. How to provide?"

"Ah we will cover your costs of living. If the child is normal then the two of you live a normal life, untouched by us. In exchange for not reaching out any news or media, we will can cover your basic costs of living at least until it's 18"

"Longer if it _isn't_ normal" Vegapunk added.

_It's not going to be good...  It will simply mean taking a different path in life than what staying here would mean._

Inazuma did you know?

\----

They're lost, but not lost. The wilderness is a twisted place, ripe with danger and indifferent to the challenges of man. Demons and cultists call this place home, call it their playground. It's only been with time, strength, and lots of pain that Ivanka has carved themselves a place here.

Society was too great a challenge, This was the only place where they felt safe, and comfortable. Here it didn't matter what they did, or didn't, see. Their beads, an object of their own discovery and making, kept them safe. They were limited only to what they could find, what was offered to them by the woods. How they wish they could travel the world and discover all kinds of rare and endangered woods, study their affects and abilities.

They weren't like _them_. They weren't like the people who hurt their sisters in their conquest for power, who played with people's lives like they meant nothing. They didn't take, only accepted. These years they'd spent lost in the wilderness had not been wasted, they'd learnt and observed. When they returned (and they would, they swore to every force on earth, This Side and the Other, they would return) they would wreak havoc on those monsters in human skin.

" _You seem distraught_ "

It was a shock, to hear the voice they hadn't heard in 5 years, in a language he'd never spoken to them, in the middle of these dangerous woods. A boy they hadn't seen since he'd stormed off at the discovery that his father still influenced every aspect of his life, not yet at an age where he could safely realize it would always be that way (their parents, absent as they always had been, still influenced them. Their decisions may have been different had they been there, more educated at the very least)

5 years had done him well, while they had not as well for them. Where Ivanka had shrunken and changed in so many ways, he'd grown into his eyes. His larger stature suited his thirst for change, his refusal to back down. Even his hair was longer, growing to accommodate the secrets he would keep and the changes he would bring.

" _I've heard some not so good things about you, but I've been able to discern the truth from the rubble. You aren't crazy, you're an expert, aren't you? In the things not of this world, things society would rather ignore than study. But I know better, and I think you do too"_

It took them awhile (far too long) to realize he didn't recognize them anymore.

" _My name's Dragon, and I want to protect the world from the dangers of the Supernatural. Won't you join me?"_

" _...My name's Ivankov_ "

\-----

The apartment she's given is decent, a small one bedroom with heat and a roof that doesn't leak. Once a week Garp makes the personal trip down to give them food, plus some spending money. She thinks he must have figured out who her son's father is, but neither of them verbally confirm it. For all she knows he had a DNA test done after the birth to confirm it all.

She named him Luffy. She wasn’t ready to be to be mother.

He was so, so small she could hold him with both hands. He needed her constant attention, couldn’t even be put down without wailing. She refused to use the crib out of fear of what may happen in the night, but hardly slept out of fear of accidentally hurting him.

It was a small blessing he hardly cried so long as she held him, although this did not worry her as it probably should have. She knew babies used crying to communicate as they had no other method to do so.

Luffy though, Luffy could. Not with words, but with emotions and feelings. And he knew her feelings too, he knew how scared she was, of hurting him, of not doing right by him. He told her what he needed, what he felt, how much he loved her.

He loved her an awful lot.

But alas not all was well, as Ivanka became aware of. It started with Luffy more often complaining he was hungry, not getting enough milk from her. She tried her best, but her breasts were actually shrinking away.

“This” Vegapunk had stated in his cold voice “is interesting, and must be further studied”

They gave her a milk formula Luffy was too young to be on, one he spat out and cried at until the hunger forced him to eat. Ivanka stressed and cried for days over it, pulling her hair out in stress.

And then her hair started falling out all on its own.

At first it was only a few strands between her fingers as she combed, and then clumps suddenly began falling out at random. In its place, a very curly purple fuzz grew from her scalp, one that promised to become a rather impressive head of hair, given time. But for now chunks of brown fell and purple grew and all the while she pretended everything was alright.

It was the only way she could keep on functioning, both for herself and for her son. After the incident with the formula she stopped reporting to Vegapunk. Maybe he assumed nothing else of significance came to pass, maybe he didn’t care (although this was mighty unlikely, for this was a man willing to murder her sisters in the name of science) but no matter the reason she lived out her days if not in peace at least without interference from the Kaigun.

For increasingly long periods of time Ivanka became unaware of time’s passing, much to Luffy's displeasure to which he felt he could not convey without wailing at the top of his lungs. Her previously silent baby was often the one who woke her from her periods of empty time, waking dreams, and strange visions.

Time passed and despite her hair now growing purple and her chest now as flat as a Man’s, she and Luffy grew and changed together. He began to crawl, and then walk which was rapidly followed by running. Teeth grew in, and crying turned to indistinct babble, which developed into random words strung into what might have counted as sentences in his three year old mind.

Ivanka spoke to him, which had the benefit of aiding Luffy's toddler talk become more comprehensive, but came with an unforeseen consequence.

Luffy may have taken after his father in looks (the same dark hair, the same world challenging eyes) but in behavior he was all his mother, supernatural tendencies and all.

Sometimes Ivanka would break out of her periods of nothing to discover it was not Luffy's piercing screech saving her, but rather his indistinct babble. She carefully walked into the living room to discover Luffy staring at, and speaking to, the wall.

“ _Luffy, honey_ ” she asked as gently as she could manage “ _who are you speaking to?_ ”

It took him a full 3 minutes to finally turn to face her, a plain smile on his face “ _there’s people there mama_ ”

She stopped asking when he spoke to the walls.

\-------

Ivanka's life had not been easy, and she’d faced a great deal of challenges in her time, but this was by far the cruelest most horrible one yet

She'd tried everything, she’d gone to the authorities, she’d gone to the embassy, she’d even gone to the media. The only story they’d been willing to publish was the one they’d been spoon fed by the animals who did this to her.

Had a miscarriage

Suffered severe delusions from grief

Oh she was grieving alright, but she hadn’t miscarried. She’d held, and cared for him for three goddamn years, and now they expected her to just forget the only good thing that had ever happened to her.

She was trapped in a never ending nightmare, one where her baby was gone, somewhere she could not reach. Haunted by images of things both there and not, creatures not of this world.

Slowly she was learning this world humanity called home was not alone in the universe, not even in this dimension. Creatures, people, things followed her promising change and knowledge.

She wouldn't, couldn't, fall for their tricks but she did glean there was much, much more than she knew in this world. She would learn, she would grow, she would save her boy.

But first she needed to go into the woods.

\------

It came to her more slowly than it should have, but eventually she realized Luffy was not fit for society, at least not the society she lived in now.

Luffy was a ball of sunshine, he loved and greeted everyone he met. No matter the grump he always managed to bring out a smile. She'd seen him warm up even the coldest, bitterest of souls. Her neighbours all loved him, even if it was only how quiet he was. Whenever she left to buy groceries he was all smiles and love for everyone, and in turn everyone loved him.

But Luffy was also different. Luffy saw things that weren't there, he spoke to things that weren't there, he knew things he shouldn't know. He communicated with his emotions, not with words, and was close to non verbal.

And when he did speak, he only spoke Russian.

It made sense, he was three years old and picked up the most fluently spoken language in his household. Ivanka hadn't thought of the consequences of only speaking Russian to her baby, she simply didn't bother speaking a language she herself barely understood.

But Luffy was coming on 4 years old now, and with this grandiose achievement he would be expected to attend school. Public school, because the government promised to provide for him but never promised luxury, with other normal kids who had normal families and lived normal lives.

And if there was anything Ivanka knew, it was that Luffy was far, far from normal.

Slowly she'd begun to gather funds, some leftover change from groceries here, some missed meals there, some sold jewellery off to the side. She'd started small, but had rapidly grown her stash. Soon she'd have enough, soon she and Luffy would be safe.

She was growing more paranoid as the days passed, and she didn't know if it was her own fractured mind acting up, or if the Kaigun had caught on to her plans. She was so close, so, so close.

" _Mama?_ " Luffy, bless his giant heart, had caught on to her growing distress as the weeks passed, and had been as complacent as ever. Her already perfect baby stopped throwing fits, stopped complaining altogether even though she knew things still upset his young three year old mind. They could never hide anything from each other, just as Luffy knew she was upset she as well knew he was growing nervous at her jumpy mood.

" _Come here, my little sunshine_ " She scooped him up into her arms, eliciting a fit of giggles that warmed her very heart. He snuggled into her chest that had flattened years ago, never bothered that his mother looked different from the other women around. Luffy's heart was open and accepting to all.

" _We're going to be going away soon, okay sunshine?_ " she whispered into his ear, her darling baby staying still to listen.

" _Where, mama?_ " he whispered back, caught up in his mother's antics. She giggled, rubbing their cheeks together.

So enamored she was with her little Luffy, she didn't hear the front door open, but with a shock of adrenaline she certainly saw the white coats enter her small living room. Loud boots marching into their home, stoic faces holding large weapons of enforcement.

She shot up, Luffy still in her arms. He clung to her now in fear, desperate whimpers escaping in response to his mother's panic.

"Yes Ivanka" and in walked Sengoku, shoulders broad and head held high " _Where to?_ "

She sucked in a desperate gasp, she didn't know he could speak Russian, didn't know that he'd been listening and watching for who knew how long. Watching her plan to flee their grasp, to far away where they couldn't hurt them anymore.

" _Please_ " she begged, her mind too distressed to bother attempting English " _He will never fit in here, He is without a father and without English. I only wish what is best for my child"_ Her heart hammering away in her chest she backed away from the encroaching guards. In their eyes she saw no sympathy, only orders to follow.

" _Yes, but that is not all that is different, is it little whore?_ " He spat out. She cried, tears streaking down her cheeks onto Luffy who was now openly crying as well. Whether he actually knew what was happening or was simply reacting to his mother was anyone's guess. Sengoku stood still, his guards standing beside him awaiting his next move " _You failed to report your son's hallucinations, you failed to report his telepathy, and his incredible foresight. Had it not been for our pre-emptive surveillance we never would have known anything was amiss_ "

She openly sobbed, clutching her quivering child in her arms. With a jerk of his head two soldiers moved forward, to which she screamed " _NO_ "

She fought, she fought with all of her strength and then some, with the strength only a mother with an endangered child can possess, but it wasn't enough. It took every guard in that room, but they  managed to rip her baby from her arms, holding her back against the wall.

" _Please_ " she begged, sobs shaking her body " _Let me take him to Russia, no one will ever know what you did, no one will ever know. We will leave and you will never need to bother with us again, let me take him to Russia, Please let me take him to Russia_ "

Garp, the son of a bitch who never appreciated his only family and lost them all, held her screaming toddler in his arms. He didn't comfort him, for all the good it would have done in the situation. What mattered was that he didn't even try.

"To Russia" Sengoku continued in English "You will go. You'll find your son will adjust just fine here" he spoke over her screams, her protests in a mess of languages some not even known to humans. "Luffy will be happy with grandfather"

" _Dragon was never here for Luffy, and you were never there for him!_ " She bawled, still struggling fruitlessly against the guards pinning her to the wall " _All his family left him, how could he care for a child?!_ "

"Do not worry" Sengoku, with Garp and her precious screaming boy, began to leave the room "He will not have the chance to run"

\-----

Ivankov was not necessarily happy to be back in America.

Don't misunderstand, they were very happy to be closer to their son, one step closer to reuniting with their beloved baby, and another step closer to taking down the bastards who killed Caroline and Elizabeth.

But that was the thing, they were that much closer to those evil wicked men and the sick evil air that surrounded them. They were very far from the natural forests of Russia, from the magic that permeated the very air there. Here there was dead magic, the ground soaked in the blood of the witches of old who died for their sisters, died for their way of life.

Ivankov moved out of the way of a group of sprinting stewardesses, all chattering as they rapidly moved to their next shift. Dragon had gotten them a pair of sunglasses and a rather tacky baseball cap to help them blend in, but their afro still peeked out from under the hat.

Sneakily they eyed a Sephora just down the hall in the airport. They'd always wanted the higher end makeup when working in Russia but had been forced to use more affordable knock-offs, and with Luffy it simply hadn't been in the budget. But maybe now they could get some nice eye shadow, something that didn't come off so easily. Experiment a bit with some purple lipstick, maybe try out some drag makeup. Elizabeth had always been a fan of the more extreme end of it all, bright colours and bold lines even within the facility.

They reminisced sadly on their lost sister with only the faintest pain in their heart. Between the pregnancy and the time in Russia it had been over five years since her passing but it still hurt to remember Caroline in the hospital cot, Elizabeth ranting and raving on the quarantine floor.

 After all of these years and the changes they'd unwillingly undergone due the lingering supernatural effects of the experiments, they looked like a man (Dragon had assumed they were one until they corrected him, and he'd been very respectful of their pronouns since then) so they could probably pull off drag, maybe get some stilettos...

They stood off to the side of the busy platform while Dragon was off in the crowded baggage control, thankfully not subjecting them to that mess. It was almost overwhelming how many people there were after hiding and studying in the Russian forests (and they hadn't quite been the most social person before Luffy either) they'd become accustomed to solitude. Apparently their empathetic abilities had only increased in that time, and they hadn't adjusted in solitude.

 Ivankov's eyes wandered back to the Sephora, wondering if they had enough time to take just a quick look around...

A flamboyant man came out, a few small bags hanging from his wrists. Despite his rather extravagant appearance he was unassuming, a floor length coat keeping him warm, and a glass of wine in hand. His glasses kept his expression neutral, hiding any thoughts you may gleam from his eyes.

It wasn't until he turned to face them that their hand shot up, a tearful gasp escaping before they'd even realized who it was they were facing. Gracefully he glided across the platform floor, people parting to avoid his path without even consciously realizing they were doing it. Soon they stood face to face, friends separated and reunited.

"I-Inazuma" they choked out, breathing coming out heavy with suppressed sobs.

"I got you some matte purple lipstick, NYX brand because I'm not made of money, but I knew you wanted some" they sighed in reluctance, opening their arms "Come here"

The two embraced in the middle of the busy airport, Ivankov choking down tears and Inazuma sighing. They knew all along, Ivankov realized, what would happen and that this is where they'd meet again.

_It's not going to be good... It will simply mean taking a different path_

Dragon would find them around 20 minutes later, still embracing to the side of the side of the crowds. He'd get no explanation, only another ally in his quest to save the world.

\-------

"We're going to have a meeting in... half an hour? There have been some incidents that need addressing, and some teams need testing" Dragon leaned against the counter in the commander's living room, sipping on his third coffee of the day.

"Mhm" Ivankov confirmed nonverbally, still staring at the laptop screen. Their own drained cup of coffee sat next to them, which Dragon moved to refill earning a smile of gratitude from the cultist. They'd been going over inventory for the past hour, and probably would be until the meeting.

Silently, Kuma entered the room, the only other person allowed in. Team captains, and higher teams had their own respective lounges but this was one was small and all for themselves. Kuma put his bible down on the table with a quiet thud "Has anyone heard from Sabo or Koala?"

Ivankov looked up from their lists at his question "Aren't those two a team A?"

"Yes" Dragon confirmed from the coffee pot "and Koala is on bed rest from a bad injury on her last mission, Sabo's off on a solo run"  

 "Yes" Kuma confirmed "But Sabo stopped checking in, so I sent Koala after him"

"Isn't that a bit cruel?" Ivankov inquired "If that boy isn't already dead, he will be once she gets to him"

"Serves him right" Dragon handed Ivankov their coffee, and Kuma his own mug "He keeps forgetting that we need to keep track of him, need to send something after his target if he dies"

"He's gotten cocky" Kuma added "He thinks he's indestructible. He'll be lucky if Koala is the only punishment he earns"

Off to the side, Ivankov's phone vibrated and lit up. Neither of the other room's occupants noticed, caught up in their gossiping. Discretely they opened their texts, pleased to see Koala was indeed checking in.

But what they saw made their heart stop.

There, smiling up at her from the screen was her boy, her baby all grown up and smiling, and happy, and smiling, and okay, and happy, and smiling, and

Breathing heavily they stood up, shaking on their feet drawing the attention of Kuma and Dragon "Are you okay?" her former lover inquired.

"No" they gasped out, long strides in clicking heels for the door "I'll be back for the meeting"

"Okay" his face pinched, he knew where they were going, knew of their strange coping mechanisms, though thankfully never commented on them. Loyal until the end.

Heels clicking on linoleum floors they exited the living room, ignoring the whispers, cell phone and smiling, happy, healthy son in hand.

Should they tell him?

\----

_And you decided Purple just wasn't for you_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: oh man oh man okay so: human experimentation on sex workers, accidental (or not) slaughter of said sex workers, consensual sexual relationship between a minor (16) and an adult that results in pregnancy, forced separation from child, graphic depictions of sex workers death. Guys if there was a chapter in this story that would trigger you this is it okay be careful, feel free to PM me if you'd like me to check for anything specific.   
> yayy you made it through the longest chapter of the fanfic! I sincerely hope it was worth the almost two week wait. Fun fact: I wrote this chapter over the course of nearly three months, I wrote probably the first 3/5 of this chapter in February (as I was making an Ivankov cosplay lmao) then about 1/5 while I was in Europe for a month, then the rest when I got back, plus I just added more in the editing so really this chapter was written over the course of about 5 months if you think of it that way. This is one of the reasons why it took so long to get out, it needed serious editing help. For one last clarification on this chapter: Ivankov uses she/her pronouns before losing luffy and goes by Ivanka, then transitions to they/them pronouns in the Russian forest, and then finally adopts the name Ivankov upon meeting Dragon again. I didn't put this in the earlier notes because I feel it is partially obvious and partially supposed to be a but confusing however here's a clarification if you still don't get it. On to the chronological timeline: Ivankov accepts the american invitation (scene 2) Ivankov arrives in America and meets dragon (scene 4) Dragon leaves and the experiments go south (scene 6) Ivankov survives (scene 8) Luffy is Different (scene 10) Luffy is taken (scene 12) Ivankov is back in Russia (scene 11) Dragon recruits Ivankov (scene 9) Ivankov reunites with Inazume (scene 13) Ivankov receives the photo (scene 14) Ivankov runs into Inazuma (scene 1) Ivankov copes in the nursery (scene 3) Ivankov attends the meeting (scene 5) Ivankov approves of Bon Clay (scene 7) One last fun fact about this chapter before you go (i know long author's note is long) but Caroline and Elizabeth were never actually originally in this fanfic at all, but I was listening to empty chairs at empty tables on repeat while writing the scene where Ivankov is finally freed from quarantine, and that scene alone in the dining room always hit me hard, but I realized that it might not hit the readers hard enough so I added some characters to connect with and kill off to add more tragedy to the whole situation (I know, as if it wasn't bad enough)


	10. It's Good To Be Alive, So We're Not Gonna Die Tonight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this chapter appears on time! (well technically really late, but it does come 2 days after the last sO) we're back with our main boys, and back to bonding and action! I hope this chapter is as interesting as the rest and you all enjoy. As per usual, warnings at the bottom.

"And so it will bEEEEE..... A PIRATE'S LIFE FOR ME" Luffy sung at the top of his lungs, giggling uncontrollably once he finished his song. Ace and Sabo rolled their eyes at his antics, walking side by side through the dense forest on the other side of the small town they'd stayed in. They'd spent one more night in the motel before deciding they really had to get a move on. Staying in one place for too long was dangerous, and made them easier to track.

Luffy ran ahead of his two guardians, chasing butterflies and running after whatever caught his eye. The forest was silent, despite being such a densely wooded area they had yet to come across even any deer.

"Probably my fault" Ace admitted when Sabo had inquired about it "Animals have a way of just kind of knowing, you know?" he shrugged at the hunter's curious gaze "Sort of how cats will stare at walls even though there's nothing there, there is, just not something you can see"

"There are people in the walls" Luffy piped up from up ahead, catching both of their attentions, and Ace studiously ignored the way both he and Sabo were naturally and automatically shifting their attention to the boy whenever he spoke "And creatures, some of them are nice"

The two of them continued walking in silence for a few moments "You know" Sabo finally mentioned casually, face completely deadpan "I could have lived my entire life without that knowledge and been perfectly happy"

Ace cracked up at Sabo's forlorn expression, falling to one knee as laughter shook his entire frame. It only took a few seconds for Sabo's stoic facade to crack as he joined Ace on the forest floor laughing. Luffy eventually joined in as well, despite most likely not knowing what they were even laughing about.

Ace released one last snicker before finally falling onto his back, staring up at the canopy above them. There were no squirrels collecting acorns, no birds flying amongst the branches, but with Sabo lying next to him he was still perfectly content.

He looked over at the still giggling blond boy lying next to him, his smile stretching across his cheeks tugging at the still very raw and fresh burn stretching across his side. The sunlight caught in his blond hair, making it sparkle and shine in the damp early morning air. Sabo had had the chance to wash it at the motel, had had the chance to shower and change his bandages and rest, making all the difference. Ace could tell how refreshed he was, how much happier he was at having gotten to relax for just a little bit. Ace wondered if Sabo ever got chances to relax like that with the revolutionaries.

Ace was genuinely happy to be with Sabo, and he wasn't even a little bit ashamed to admit he was looking forward to the years of training Luffy with him. He nearly snickered wondering if he would have been able to admit something like that to himself even just a few days ago. Content, even looking forward to, spending time with a human who had spent so much time hating him, and he hating back. Now here they were lying on the ground together, barely a hair's breadth apart grinning like the world around them didn't even matter.

"Hey Ace," Sabo turned to face the fire demon "Is one demon really enough to clear a forest like this"

"No" Luffy interjected.

Or maybe, the world around them actually did matter after all.

Simultaneously Ace and Sabo shot up to stare at the boy, the relaxed mood they'd been bathing in all morning suddenly shattered at the revelation. Ace felt like he'd been doused in cold water, his chest suddenly constricting in fear. Of course they couldn't have one morning to themselves, of course they were being hunted again. Since when did the universe care about their happiness?

"Luffy" Sabo cautiously questioned "How close are they?"

Luffy looked up at Sabo from where he sat, legs splayed out the way only a reluctant 10 year old could sit "Pretty close" the boy confessed, mouth downturned in fear.

"Shit, Ace" he turned to direct him, but Ace had already anticipated the command, scooping up Luffy in his arms.

"Which way?" Ace asked, but as Sabo went to respond they heard boots crunching through forest, dozens of people not caring how much noise they'd made now that they were close enough to their targets. Sabo's eyes widened "Opposite to that"

Ace nodded and they both took off running through. The forest floor which had once seemed so welcoming was now filled with obstacles, bushes and collapsed trees block their path and forcing them to exert themselves jumping and running around. Behind them the pace of their attackers picked up, having been discovered and now commencing the chase.

"Ah!" Ace screamed, suddenly getting clothes lined by a pair of Kaigun guards, knocking both him and Luffy to the ground with a pained grunt, and a desperate whimper from the young boy in his arms. He propped himself up on his elbows, feeling his forehead where some dark sludge slowly dribbled out from a gash.

"Ace!"Sabo screamed, coming to a stop ahead of them at the commotion. Ace's heart dropped at the idiot "Keep going!" he screamed back but it was too late, the guards had been waiting, they'd been herded he realized with a shock. The guards behind them hadn't been loud at the prospect of catching them, but to direct them here where their buddies were waiting.

"Luffy" Ace got to his feet, and with a look from his demon guardian the boy quickly scurried into a fallen tree that had hollowed over the years. With his charge safe he stood tall, staring down the soldiers who'd dared threaten the boy beneath him.

They'd circled wide around him, a similar circle ahead of him where they'd most likely gotten Sabo. A fight hadn't broken out yet, but it was only a matter of time, and not putting him and Sabo in the same area was going to be their greatest mistake yet. With a grin so wide only a demon could manage it, he cracked his neck "Well boys?" all the soldiers jumped back at the deep, reverberating tone that they felt all the way deep in their chests "Want to play a game?"

With a cackle he released his flames, shooting out in all directions except down, mindful of the shaking boy hiding within the dead tree beneath him. With pained shouts and screams the fight was on, some managing to dodge back in time, some escaping with minor burns, but at least few of their comrades had fallen screaming. He knew many were already dead, but a few had more minutes of agony before they'd meet their demise. They could save some, if they moved fast enough.

From the sounds of it Sabo's own fight had started, and even 12 on 1 Sabo was no easy to defeat. It helped that at the sight of Ace's true power (and how he laughed, they hadn't seen his true form yet) they abandoned the human fight to help their brothers and sisters against the inhuman abomination.

"Well?" Ace turned, shooting flames off again in all directions, hitting some but most had kept clear of his rage "Isn't there anyone who can keep up with me?"

"Yeah!" a voice from above him shouted, and despite the bravado Ace could hear the quiver of fear in his voice "Up here"

"I can see you" Ace retorted, splitting his attention between the dozen or so soldiers who'd surrounded him and the one pink haired boy who'd thought to scale a tree. Ace was completely engulfed in flames at this point, making him very, very hard to hit. What a pitiful attempt at a distraction, a flames from his first few attacks were already licking up the trunk and the pink haired boy would be dead in minutes, if he didn't jump and kill himself right away.

"Yeah well" the weak kid whimpered, eyeing the demon and his flames, seemingly already very aware of his incoming fate "Might as well do something"

He swung his huge backpack off his shoulders, the thing was ridiculously huge, practically bigger than the tiny boy wearing it. Ace was quickly distracted by a long blond haired boy lunging for him, and for a split second his mind thought Sabo.

He quickly dodged after a moment's hesitation, ducking beneath a shining scythe to punt his stupid attacker back into the surrounding crowd of soldiers with a flaming kick. The idiot might have survived, he may not have, but it didn't concern Ace.

While that split second distraction didn't cost him in his fight against the blond boy, it certainly cost him dearly in the long run against the idiotic pink haired boy in the tree.

Really who cared jugs of water around in the middle of the forest?

Clearly they'd been a little more prepared than he'd given them credit for, for in the several seconds the blond boy (not Sabo, his mind helpfully provided him) distracted was all it took for the boy in the tree to unload his entire pack full of water onto him, knocking him to one knee with the sudden lethargy.

"Gah" he gasped, desperately sucking in heaving breaths, eyeing the soldiers who looked considerably less afraid than they did several seconds ago. A few of the fools even dared enter his range of attack o retrieve their comrades, a range of attack he could no longer maintain. His fire sat angrily under his skin, desperate to escape and attack but stuck under the layer of water soaking him.

Beneath him Luffy whimpered, which was all it took for him to swallow his pride and scream for help "Sabo!"

\-----

Sabo grit his teeth, watching the guards around him carefully. Each of the bastards looked fucking identical in his opinion, same uniform, same stance, same stupid I'm-a-grunt-who-follows-orders expression.

All except for one

Sabo kept his eyes on that one. Oh sure he had a similar uniform, but he held no weapon and his expression...

His expression terrified him the most. An almost relaxed, almost pretentious smirk that sent shivers down Sabo's spine, although he couldn't be quite sure why. Maybe it was the way the grunts circling him left a wide open gap where he stood, enticing him to attack their leader? Or avoiding a soldier known for causing collateral damage.

"Hmmm they didn't specify which one we had to look out for, but now I see you'll both be interesting hmmmm" he drawled out, his voice almost nasally and very pretentious indeed.

Flames suddenly shot out from where Ace and Luffy had been surrounded, and Sabo prayed Ace would be alright. Then he cursed himself for thinking of Ace first, hoping against hope his dumbass partner had thought to get Luffy to a covered spot.

"Oh?" The douchebag leered, looking over at Ace's flashy battle "Guess I got the boring one after all"

Sabo lunged across the clearing at the leader "You're opponent is me!" he shouted, gaining his attention. Sabo pulled back his fist, going for a direct hit against the bastard's nose that would at the very least daze him and allow him to take on the dozen or so mindless grunts. He whipped to kick an approaching soldier as his fist connected with the nose-

Only to fall onto his side as his fist didn't connect with anything at all.

"Ah!" he spat out unwittingly, his burns stinging incessantly at the rough treatment. He got to his feet shakily, head whipping around to spot his opponent.

"My oh my, you are an interesting one aren't you?" a voice drawled out behind him. He whipped around too late, a kick connecting with his ribs sending him back into the circle of unmoving soldiers.

Sabo coughed, vomiting up bile from the kick. He desperately heaved, getting to one knee to keep an eye on the man "Wha-?"

"Luffy's escape was a little... inspirational, let's call it" The voice was suddenly behind, and he nearly tripped over his own feet in order to escape it "The Kaigun decided to push their experiments to the next level"

Sabo's eyes watered, his burn pulling at just how wide his eyes shot. No wonder the other soldiers weren't moving, interfering, and avoided the man like a plague.

Or avoiding a soldier known for causing collateral damage

Sometimes Sabo hated his intuition. Demons not only caused collateral damage, they reveled in it.

"I was promised a chance to fight with a fairly powerful demon, but who would have thought it would be the last fire demon in existence? Never the less" Suddenly the prick was right in front of him "You weren't what I was promised little hunter"

"Sabo!" Ace screamed from his circle, and oh god his flames had receded which meant someone had a water gun which meant Ace with Luffy and completely defenceless-

"Sounds like I'm going to have some fun after all" The bastard had the audacity to smirk.

With a howl of rage Sabo swung his fist up, actually managing to connect with the stupid fuck's nose this time, causing him to shoot away in a beam of light.

"Fuck me" Sabo whispered under his breath.

Demons, no matter the kind, were giant pains in the ass. The playing field was automatically unfair, an irreversible disadvantage you couldn't hope to even out one on one. Sabo, in his time fighting and banishing, had faced all kinds of demons and he knew some were easier than others to defeat. But a demon made of light was all kinds of trouble.

It would take him valuable precious time to dig out the beads he'd need to protect himself, time he just didn't have if he was going to keep this thing away from Ace. Damn both demons to hell, damn this demon for fighting him and damn Ace for befriending him enough to have him keep off his beads so they could interact closely.

He didn't regret befriending Ace, not really. But still damn it they may not make it out of this alive.

"You're on your own!" he shouted back, hoping Ace could handle himself. A frustrated shout was all he got in response as he turned to face his own, probably undefeatable, opponent.

Sabo twirled his staff, facing off against the demon who eyed him with interest "I don't often face you revolutionaries, you usually keep to yourselves, or weaker demons"

"Yeah well" Sabo retorted "Not that many cultists these days dumb enough to summon one of the holy three"

"Oooooh I wouldn't agree" the demon's head tilted, to an inhuman angle "You just don't hear about it when we are, we make sure"

"Yeah sur-" Sabo suddenly brought his staff up in a block, managing to catch the foot that had been flying for his ribs, sliding back with the force behind it. He grunted, clenching his teeth in pain. Painkillers could only block so much before your burns decided to casually remind you how much they sucked.

"I don't necessarily need to fight you, you know" the demon casually mentioned, leg still raised in the blocked kick "That wasn't in the contract, nor was it my reward. Just that delicious looking fire demon over there"

"Yeah well that fucking sucks" he bit out "cuz we're a package so you're stuck with me"

"Oh really" he droned, disappearing in a flash and reappearing behind Sabo "I think I'll be the judge of that"

\-----

Luffy cowered in his log, the grunts and shouts of battle outside scaring him more than he'd ever admit should anyone ask- not that anyone would. Ace had been doing well, but Luffy couldn't warn Ace about the kind hearted boy in the tree who just wanted to save him. It wasn't his fault he didn't know Ace wasn't who he needed saving from. Coby would do good things, really good strong things in the future, but for now he was hindering them more than helping.

He yelped as someone hit his log then rolled away, or off to the ground unconscious he wasn't sure. It was getting hot, like really hot, in his log and he was starting to think Ace's leftover flames had caught it on fire. He whimpered, sweating as the general temperature of the battlefield increased. Ace may not have had his flames anymore, but his initial blasts had lit the forest and created a blaze.

A blaze that was spreading.

Sparks showered down on him as he shrieked, part of his definitely on fire log collapsing in on top of him. Crying he scrambled back away from the rapidly growing hole above of fire and embers.

He believed in Ace and Sabo, he truly did, but this was a whole other level of fight. Sabo was holding up strong, but he was outmatched. He would lose if nothing was done, but Ace could help and turn the tide if he wasn't otherwise occupied. Unfortunately he was, and it was costing Ace everything just to keep off the foot soldiers throwing themselves at him.

Luffy knew fear, it was a very familiar companion of his that he'd been trapped with for a very long time, especially in these most recent years when he was forced to visit the Other Side. He was always scared, scared of the scientists, scared of Sengoku, scared of being forced alone, scared of Him...

But with Ace and Sabo he wasn't scared. They were both strong, very, very, strong so strong they nearly tied when they fought. Ace promised, no matter what, to stay by his side and keep him safe. Sabo liked Luffy, and he really liked Ace so he stayed with them too. They were both strong, and loyal, and protected him like that time on the bus. They wanted to help him get stronger too, so he could one day protect them and others like him.

Luffy wanted to get stronger, he wanted to be stronger right now so he could help Ace, or help Sabo, or get help for both of them.

"Help" he whimpered, listening to Sabo's pained yells as the demon played with him, and Ace's grunts as more and more hits slipped past his guard.

"Help" he repeated, crawling out of his burning log on burnt hands and burnt knees, crawling through burning grass and ducking under soldiers that still charged and fought Ace.

"Help!" he cried, looking around, begging anyone or anything to interfere.

Up ahead, he saw something sprinting through the forest, perpendicular to the battle. Skirting around the battle lines without drawing attention to themselves.

They could help. Maybe not them specifically, but they could change the tide of battle somehow.

Luffy inhaled, then exhaled. He was scared, god he was terrified, but fear had been a constant companion of his for years now. He had learned not only how to live under its pressure, but how to act and more importantly how to fight.

Gathering every ounce of bravery within, Luffy rose from his crouch and began to sprint through the battle. Ignoring Ace's shout of alarm, he continued sprinting through the battlefield, dodging arms reaching for him and weapons aimed his way. Out of the fire zone and into the natural forest he sprinted screaming "Help!"

He couldn't see the figure anymore but he kept running in the direction he'd seen them "Help! Please help!" he begged, sobbing.

\-----

Sabo panted, doing his absolute best to keep up with his demonic opponent. He'd been tossed and punched, kicked and slapped, and in one memorable moment even strangled. This thing had had chance after chance at Sabo's head but he hadn't taken it.

Something told him it wasn't an act of mercy.

If he thought he was in pain before, it was nothing compared to now. Every inch of his body ached, every muscle screamed in protest, and his burns seared at every twist and dodge he was forced to make.

He was absolutely and completely exhausted from his battle with Kizaru the demon of light, in some circles known as Borsalino but it wasn't as commonly used. Something needed to happen, something needed to change. He was hopelessly outmatched and had only lived this long because the fucking thing was playing with his food.

Sabo didn't enjoy being food.

"Well this has been fun my little rabbit" Kizaru cooed, and god did that man have an irritating voice, "but I think it's time to finish this"

A hand suddenly planted itself between his shoulder blades, pushing him to the ground. He furrowed his brows in confusion, when all of a sudden Ace was behind him, screaming. Sabo turned his head to look up at the horrific scene before him.

Kizaru looked like someone had just handed him a triple layer cake and told him it was all for himself. He'd managed to get behind Sabo for what was supposed to be a final decisive blow but Ace, somehow some fucking way, managed to launch himself across the battlefield, across two battle lines separating them to push him out of the way and take the hit for him.

Kizaru had managed to blow a rather large hole through his left shoulder, filled with black ichor dripping onto the grass and pooling near him.

"Wow" Ace dropped to one knee and Sabo instinctively caught him from falling face first into the ground "wow that fucking hurts"

Ace's ichor blood was soaking his shirt, and he felt numb. The same sort of shock he'd felt when Koala had gotten injured. Like his mind wasn't processing that things had suddenly gotten so much horrible worse. Carefully ignoring how bad things were and willfully ignoring how fucked they were now.

"Where's-" he coughed, trying to shake loose the weight on his heart "Where's Luffy?"

Ace managed a pained sort of amused huff "He took off" he whispered into Sabo's ear "Let's keep 'em entertained long enough to give him a decent head start yeah?"

For a second neither of them moved, then Sabo stood carefully supporting Ace and ignoring his winces for his own sanity.

They both turned, standing back to back against each other facing their enemies, Sabo purposely putting himself face to face with Kizaru and between the holy demon and Ace.

"One of the holy trio huh?" Ace piped up behind Sabo "I feel honoured"

"You better be" Sabo retorted "Cuz I'm kicking his ass for you"

Sabo could feel Ace's grin from behind him "I'm such a maiden in distress"

"Damn right" he spat back, no malice in his voice "You know, despite the odds and despite everything I actually want to survive this battle" he laughed bitterly "It's only when I stare death in the face that I realize how badly I want to live"

Ace gently elbowed him in the side "Okay well, uh" he sighed deeply "you want some, uh motivation to survive this?" Under his breath, Sabo could hear Ace murmur "fuck it"

"Let's hear it" Sabo didn't have time to waste and wonder what he would, or even could, offer. They might be (almost certainly were) standing at the precipice of their own funerals, buying time for their charge to get far enough away that he too wouldn't fall to these fuckers' hands.

"If we survive this" Ace audibly swallowed "I'll kiss you"

If Sabo had thought he was in shock before he was in for a treat now. He very nearly took his eyes off his watching enemies to stare at Ace in bewilderment (and to tell if he was lying, because what a cruel fucking joke to make but he was a demon after all) but thankfully he caught himself in time.

"Well" Sabo laughed "Guess we both better make it out of this then"

"Yeah?" Ace's voice was filled was filled with relief and elation, a thought that had Sabo's own heart spinning with joy realizing this might actually be a thing that might actually work.

If they survived against one of the most powerful demons in existence and his 20 odd human goons.

"Yeah, and if you die I'm pulling you back from the Other Side to punch you myself" Sabo readied himself, fists up, eyes gleaming.

He could feel Ace doing the same "It's a deal then" He laughed.

"Yeah" Sabo agreed, wondering if this counted as a deal with a demon.

Just as the standoff seemed ready to end, the tensions between enemies finally reaching a climactic point of bursting, a wave of energy ripped through the clearing grabbing both Kaigun, demon, and hunter attention.

It was nothing tangible, not a solid force to knock them all down (and what a sight that would have been, the mighty Kizaru knocked to his ass) it felt more like a feeling, of a mass of force coming their way.

"You don't think Luffy-?" Ace cut himself off, questioning even his own question.

"Oh help me lord I hope not" Sabo complained, just so fucking ready to fight his way out of this or die trying.

Ace was grinning, Sabo couldn't see him but he knew Ace was grinning "It's never boring with that kid around, is it?"

And if you looked up the dictionary definition of "All hell breaking loose"  that very next moment would be all you'd need to understand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Fight! Fight! Fight! graphic depictions of violence and injuries for this chapter.  
> Fun fact for this chapter: That line that Ace says before he starts fighting (Well boys?" / "Want to play a game?") is a reference to one my favourite fucked up fics on Fanfiction: A Vendetta For Life by yaoifan124 its a great MarcoAce fic thats very smutty and deals with Ace having a very strange mindset due to his surroundings and upbringing. The next fic I write will probably be a tad bit inspired by it. Also you know how I use song titles for Chapter titles because I'm unoriginal? well this one is two because one is happy but directly leads into the next one which is nOT.  
> SO who do you think Luffy saw? What on earth did Luffy do? Are Ace and Sabo alright? Let me know what you think! See y'all next time~


	11. I Walk The Line

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author confirmed as a cryptid who drops off the side of the earth and forgets to update ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ I know I usually out warnings at the bottom but for this chapter I am going to put the warning at the top just so no one gets caught by surprise: there is an explicit sexual scene between Ace and Sabo in this chapter, if you would like to avoid it then skip the scene starting with Ace and Sabo going somewhere after putting Luffy to bed (or skip to the next scene after they start kissing because yes it gets heated)

He groaned, curling up further into his comforter and burying his face into his pillow. Sunlight was streaming in through his blinds warming the room to a comfortable level, and gently lightening his bedroom outside his  closed eyelids. He wasn't going to get up yet, he didn't care what Koala said. It had been a difficult mission and all he wanted right now was to rest and relax his sore muscles, honestly who would have thought a fucking fire demon-

Sabo groaned because he knew his mission was NOT over, he LOST his fight against the fire demon, and he may have ABANDONED his post to help protect said demon and his charge.

He cracked his eyes open, still immensely enjoying the comfortable bed and pillow and comforter, and trying to figure out where the fuck he was, and if any of this was Ace's fault.

_"If we survive this" Ace audibly swallowed "I'll kiss you"_

He stared deadpan at the blue flowers sitting in a pretty glass on the bedside table several feet from his head. The sunlight shining in through the large windows at the head of the (rather large) bed made the water in the glass sparkle, the flowers taking on an almost ethereal quality.

_"Well" Sabo laughed "Guess we both better make it out of this then"_

The room itself wasn't that large, all naturist browns, from deep wood to light tan. The floor space was mostly dominated by the bed, large enough for Sabo to comfortably sprawl in. It could probably fit three to four people on it, if they were of average size and willing to cram in. One giant happy cuddle party.

_"I'll kiss you"_

Giving up on life, Sabo buried his face into pillows again. Had Ace really said that, or had Sabo imagined it in his last few moments of life? Had Ace meant it? Did he think it was a good idea at the time but was now having second thoughts? Had Sabo even survived the battle?

Deciding the best route was just accepting he died in that battle, Sabo relaxed into the _amazingly_ soft blankets and mattress, determined to catch up on as much sleep as he could.

At least that was the plan, until 90 pounds of 11 year old boy landed squarely on his chest. With a _whoof_ of air escaping his body Sabo wondered why he ever thought rescuing Luffy was a good idea.

"Sabo! Ace! Sabo!" Luffy laughed, rolling all over the bed (which included all over Sabo) before pouncing on Sabo "Sabo's awake!"

Sabo cracked a smirk, and while still feigning sleep he managed to trap Luffy in his arms and under the blanket, all the while faking a yawn.

"Sabooooo" Luffy whined from under the blanket "Saboooooooooooooo"

"Wow" Sabo mumbled, his sleep addled mumbling only half faked "What a comfortable teddy bear"

Luffy managed to squirm his head above the blankets, dramatically gulping down air "Ace! Save me from the blanket monster!"

"Nah" A voice responded from the doorway "I think I'll just let you die"

Luffy only managed a frustrated noise, somewhere between a groan and a shriek, while Sabo peeked an eye open to spy on the figure leaning on the door.

Dang, when Ace wasn't trying to blend in, he fucking _glowed_. His hair floated around him, his eyes sparked in delight, and his goddamn skin was sparkling.

So of course Sabo couldn't fucking take him seriously.

"Hey there Edward Cullen, how are you today?" Sabo barely managed to keep his voice steady, descending into giggles afterwards ruining the effect.

"Ha. Ha. I'll kick your ass, pretty boy" Ace left his perch by the door to flop onto the bed, on top of Sabo and the still trapped still squirming Luffy, both of whom released a pained grunt.

"I'll push you off the bed, then you'll die" Sabo declared, finally releasing the eleven year old who climbed over his head (and stepped on his _hair_ ) to get on top of Ace and declare himself king. 

"Yes because" Ace grunted as Luffy's weight settled atop him "That's the obvious result of falling off the bed, inevitable death"

"It's a long fall" Luffy concurred from above.

"Knock knock!" someone interrupted from the doorway.

Shoving Ace and Luffy off of him, both falling with their own unique whines of discontent, Sabo propped himself up on his elbows to catch a glimpse of the newcomer with the unfamiliar voice who'd interrupted his morning.

They were hard to focus on at first, all floating blue silk and long wispy dark hair. They didn't seem very defined in their space, the lines between them and the air blurring to make you second guess whether they were really there at all.

_Sabo stumbled, desperately trying to hold his ground against his enemies, of which there were far too many. His breath caught in his chest as he caught sight of a soldier across the clearing with a gun aimed right for him, he couldn't dodge out of the way without endangering Ace or Luffy but a blurry flash of blue knocked into the soldier from the side, knocking the gun from his hands and gaining Sabo a few more precious seconds of life._

"Yo, Izo" Ace greeted "Sabo finally woke up"

"Congratulations Sabo" the figure moved from the doorframe to sit at the foot of the bed "You've been asleep for about two weeks"

For a split second every thought process stopped as his brain scrambled to come to terms with the fact that he'd apparently dropped off the side of the earth with no contact for two weeks and that Koala was literally going to murder him this time-

"Kidding!" Izo exclaimed "You did sleep about 17 hours though, so I imagine you're quite hungry. I'll have Thatch bring up some food for you three." He stood, his silks slowly following and floating around.

"Oh" Sabo managed to get out as Izo took his leave.

"Izo's a nymph" Luffy proudly declared "And he's real good at doctoring. He made Sabo all better!"

Dazed, Sabo turned to Ace for further clarification.

"He's a Meliai" Ace explained "A dryad of an ash tree, good at healing and all that. Healed our- well yours and Luffy's- injuries after the whitebeards wiped the forest floor with Kaigun ass"

_Ace was grinning "It's never boring with that kid around, is it?"_

_Sabo's eyes widened as figures, creatures, and people of all sorts and sizes came pouring into the clearing, flinging spells, and fists, and in some noticeable cases trees, in every direction but their own. Kaigun scrambled to recover the situation, Guards shouting for help and falling beneath the claws of animals that had snuck in. A ghost madly cackled as it grabbed a shouting commander calling for order, dropping him from high above onto his underlings._

_"Ace?" Sabo questioned, wondering if he was really seeing any of what lay before him._

_"Yeah?" Ace replied._

_"We might actually survive this"_

Sabo turned to face Ace "They saved our lives"

"Yeah" Ace sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck "I guess they detected a battle happening in their territory and sent someone to investigate. Luffy took off like a bat out of hell because, apparently, he knew they could help"

Sabo rubbed a face over his scarred face, that was something he needed to think after getting some food in him, and exhaustedly asked "Ace, where are we?"

Ace looked reluctant to reply, as if hoping against hope and trying to gauge what Sabo's reaction would be, although there was no way he would have been able to guess Ace's next words

"Welcome to the Whitebeards?"

\----

As it turns out, Luffy had indeed spotted Izo, and begged for help because he just _knew_ Izo was the key to saving them. Izo, being a whitebeard and recognizing Ace, went for help. The massive fucking army he'd seen charging through the forest to their rescue?

That was the Whitebeards.

He'd been skeptical, very skeptical, when he'd learned where they were. If it hadn't been for Ace begging him to just give them a chance he would have insisted they high tail it out of there at the first sign of freedom. The fact that they saved their lives also helped.

And so, albeit reluctantly, Sabo allowed himself to be brought along on a tour of the Whitebeard grove, which was admittedly beautiful.

"Wow" Sabo mumbled to himself, neck cranked to look up the trunks of the trees towering above him "I didn't even know trees could grow this tall"

"The forest is filled with nymphs and dryads" Ace supplied, holding Luffy's hand to prevent him from wandering off "Not to mention Fae and lots of other nature protecting species. Together they cultivate this sort of perfect environment where plant life thrives for like, ever."

"Not quite forever" A ghostly figure descended in front of them, Thatch the chef, who was actually a ghost and had fed them the most amazing Lunch ever earlier "But they certainly last awhile. Izo's tree has been thriving for centuries since I started paying extra attention to his care"

"Or maybe" Izo appeared from behind a young wilting Maple tree "I've just been naturally glowing all these years" The Meliai turned to face them "Don't mind the poltergeist, he likes to start trouble when he's bored"

"Rude!" Thatch stuck out his tongue, doing summersaults in the air "I have a name!"

"He means well" Izo ignored the pouting deceased "But I'm certain his death cost him precious brain cells. Come along, I'll introduce you to the rest"

They met Vista, A flower Fae who was exceptional in his use of the blade, and Namur a water nymph while trudging through the grove. Near the main buildings they met Haruta, a mischievous pixy who absolutely loved playing with Luffy, and stole his hat resulting in a near 20 minute chase. Inside their large home they met a diamond golem, Jozu, and mystical weapons charmer (and crafter) by the name of Rakuyo.

And it was even further inside that they met whitebeard himself.

In the heart of the forest was a lake, and mountain. Inside the lake played many nymphs and water sprites, but it was inside the mountain where the Father of the lands lay.

Sabo had never met a mountain giant before, and he felt extremely overwhelmed.

The man towered over them, inside the cavern within the mountain. The cavern couldn't be manmade, not if a mountain giant resided within it, but the walls and floors were smooth, naturally lit with small fireflies that floated around.

"Don't touch them" Ace whispered to Sabo "They explode"

As it turned out, it was one of the reasons they summoned Ace so frequently because his fireflies were a wonderful smokeless light for the gathering area of the family.

Sabo was studiously doing his best to avoid looking Newgate in the eye.

Ace shot him a concerned look "You don't need to be scared"

Sabo bit his lip "He's _so_ powerful. Even I can feel it" he shuddered.

"Yeah well" Ace chuckled "Just look at Luffy"

Luffy was standing in front of where Whitebeard sat ( _Sat_ as if he wasn't already huge enough) staring at him unabashedly, eyes filled with wonder and curiosity. The mountain giant seemed amused, thankfully, staring right back at the boy who barely reached his mid calf.

Sabo watched the silent interaction intently, hoping against hope Luffy didn't do anything to upset him and bring the mountain down on them.

"You're kind" Luffy finally voiced, his voice echoing through the silent cavern, everyone having stopped to watch their Father and leader evaluate the young demon charmer before them.

Sabo whipped his eyes to whitebeard, seeing his face for the first time. He didn't have time to marvel at the age lines on his face, the laugh lines at the corner of his eyes, or the kindness etched into his very being. He was too busy watching the man's expression for any sign it was time to grab Luffy and hightail it out of there.

A loud laugh shook the walls, and it took Sabo a few heart stopping moments to come to terms that it was a laugh of joy, not maliciousness "You are a kind boy yourself Luffy, I am pleased to have you here"

Luffy giggled "We won't be staying though, we're going to the ocean"

"Oh?" Whitebeard queried, and Sabo leaned on Ace's sympathetic shoulder as his heart felt ready to give out from the stress of trying to prevent Luffy from getting himself killed.

"Mhm we're gonna train to fight demons and I'm gonna get strong and go to Russia"

"Hm?" and Sabo got to witness a powerful mountain giant _tilt his head_ "and why is that?"

Luffy looked down at the floor, not necessarily upset but unable to answer. Sabo knew Luffy was insistent in going to Russia but he just didn't know _why_ and it seemed Luffy didn't know either.

"Well" The older man backed off, surprising Sabo "The beach is certainly a nice place, enough of my children go that it must be"

"Is it?" And up Luffy jumped, stars in his eyes "I've never been to the ocean but Ace has, and Sabo has, and they really liked it so I thought it must be nice but I don't really like the pool that much so I was really hoping they were different but Sabo and Ace haven't been to the pool before so they can't really compare so I wasn't sure what to think and-"

And slowly Sabo relaxed against Ace, realizing Whitebeard was easily amused by Luffy's antics, and kept him entertained answering all of his questions thoroughly and  honestly. Ace and Sabo sat down, Sabo still leaning against Ace's shoulder, Luffy and Whitebeard still chatting.

At some point a warlock named Marco came in, one very skilled in healing alchemy and had lived for hundreds of years after unlocking it's secrets. The three of them wasted the hours away together on the floor of the mountain hall while Luffy casually chatted away with one of the oldest creatures in existence.

\-----

"So" Sabo inquired "Where are you taking me?"

After Luffy had finally started drooping, Ace and Sabo had insisted on feeding him dinner and taking him to bed.

It was after they had Luffy settled that Ace had surprised him with some sort of plan, one Sabo wasn't privy to, but was expected to follow along without complaint or protest anyways.

He stumbled, Ace catching his arm to steady him and Sabo thought it was ridiculous that now of all times he felt like Ace was lighting him aflame.

_"If we survive this, I'll kiss you"_

Refusing to relinquish his grip on Ace's hand, he watched the back of the demon's head as he lead them somewhere, where Sabo did not know.

Did Ace intend to follow through on his promise? Sabo wouldn't hold him to it, he didn't want to force the boy to do something he'd only been joking about, or had only blurted out as a we're-about-to-die last words kinda thing. Did Sabo even want Ace to kiss him? Sure the man was attractive, and loyal, and friendly once you got past his I'll-kill-you-if-you-touch-Luffy thing, but he was a demon. An immortal demon who would outlive him by a very long time so really things could never work out in the long run-

He was getting ahead of himself.

"Here we are" Ace proclaimed, coming to a stop. Sabo narrowly avoided running into his back, coming to his side instead, their fingers still entwined.

They'd come to a pond, almost big enough to not quite be a pond but too small to be a lake. Budding flowers and cattails lined the edges, with lakeweeds and lily pads dominating the shallower areas. A frog or two sat upon the pads, croaking out their midnight song to the stars.

"Wow" Sabo whispered "It's really pretty, Ace"

"Yeah Thatch cleaned it up a bit a couple years ago, with Namur's help. Made it more accessible you know" He rubbed the back of his head with his free hand, not catching Sabo's eye "He probably did it to impress Izo cuz you know he really likes him and yeah I thought you might like it?"

Sabo chucked, still not letting go of Ace's hand "I really do Ace" He tilted his head, leaning down to catch Ace's eyes "It's beautiful"

It was all worth it to see his face light up with a pleased smile, and a bright red blush "I'm glad! We should" he manoeuvred he and Sabo closer to the water where some soft grass grew, presumably to sit and gaze upon the water, but their reluctance to relinquish each other's hands finally caught up to them causing them to lost their balance, and tumble into the grass instead.

"A-ah!" They both exclaimed at the predicament, toppling over. Ace, being the first to fall, managed to land himself below Sabo who fell onto his chest.

"Oh, oh god your burns-" Ace sputtered in panic, hands reaching up to help him, but Sabo caught them.

"Are healed" he finished "Thanks to Izo, though I won't ever see out of my eye again"

Ace's face softened, his panic falling to a deep guilt. Slowly he brought one of his hands up to brush against the scar marring his eye, cradling his cheek "I'm sorry" he whispered "I wouldn't do anything different were we to repeat that fight again, but I wish I'd known you weren't danger. I wish-" he cut himself off with a deep sigh "I wish I'd known you. I'm glad I hurt they mystery man threatening Luffy, but I wish I hadn't hurt _you_ "

Sabo's heart was hammering, his cheeks flushed as he leaned into Ace's hand "I'm sorry too, for assuming you were bad, For putting you in that position, for hurting you too"

The two of them stayed that way for awhile, neither willing nor wanting to move. Eventually Sabo sat up, much to Ace's dismay, but stayed straddling Ace's lap.

Ace followed, sitting up so the two of them sat face to face. Sabo grinned, wrapping his arms around Ace's neck "So was there another reason you brought me here, other than to apologize and seduce me?" 

"Well I'm all done apologizing" Ace wiggled his eyebrows, breaking the mood and causing Sabo to double over in a fit of hysterics "But really, I did bring you here for a reason." He brought Sabo's face up with one hand on his chin, leaning in, before abruptly turning it to face the pond "Look"

Ace took his other hand and splayed it out palm up to face the pond, before the same fireflies that filled Whitebeard's cavern gently emerged from his hand to spread across the pond's surface to light up the area.

Sabo gasped, leaning in to rest his head on Ace's chest. Sure enough there were frogs, three of them sitting on lily pads on the far left side of the pond croaking their own musical melody to accompany the night. Beneath the water's surface Sabo could see a few fish flitting about, small reflective scales catching the light and reflecting it back at them.

"Look beyond the water, to the tall grass" Ace whispered, his hand no longer holding Sabo's chin and instead moving to grip his hip.

Sabo followed his suggestion, to see a few of the small flower buds gently opening up, sharp white petals beginning to peek out.

"What?" Sabo gently asked, eyes leaving the pond for a second to look to Ace's face.

"Ssh" Ace answered "Just watch"  

Slowly as the moonlight began peeking out from behind the clouds more and more buds began to bloom until the entire pond was surrounded by pale white lilies.

"Midnight lilies" Ace finally responded "They only bloom at night, and Vista diligently cares for them. They hold slight supernatural abilities, but that's the most that I know"

"They're beautiful" Sabo murmured in awe, watching the fireflies light up the night with a gentle glow.

Ace deeply inhaled before looking down at Sabo, who tore his eyes from the pond to look at him in confusion. Ace seemed nervous, bringing in the hand he'd used to release the fireflies and wiping his palm on his pants.

"They're" He flushed bright red and tried again "They're not the only ones"

Sabo was suddenly very conscious of his arms around Ace's neck, Ace's hand on his hip, his legs straddling Ace's lap. Every point of contact between them was heated, their breaths intermingling. Ace moved his hand from his own thigh to Sabo's waist, both hands holding him sending jolts through his core.

Ace leaned in, his face inches from Sabo's "I thought maybe you'd like me to come through with my promise?"

Sabo brought his lips to mere millimeters from Ace's, his eyes closed in anticipation "Yes" He whispered "I'd like that very much"

When their lips met neither of them held back, gentle at first but rapidly adding more pressure, mouths opening to reach more of each other. Ace's hands found themselves under his shirt, fingertips skimming across his skin sending shivers across his body. Sabo's fingers delved into Ace's curly locks, holding and massaging him.

One of Ace's hands searched lower, beneath Sabo's belt gently groping the clothed erection beginning to strain against his briefs.

"H-ha" Sabo breathed, separating their lips with a gasp, unconsciously moving his hips closer Ace and against the hand slowly massaging him and awakening his cock.

Ace moved his lips to Sabo's ear "Do you like it?" He whispered, to which Sabo nodded eagerly, nearly whining at the brief contact. Ace's mouth moved to Sabo's neck, biting a mark and sending sparks across his skin.

Ace's hand moved within his briefs, pulling the constraining fabric down his thighs to free his erect member. He continued his work on Sabo's neck, sucking and sending shocks of pleasure through his system.

Ace firmly gripped Sabo's erection, gently moving up and down causing his breath to hitch and catch in euphoria, his heart racing out of control. He thrust his hips into Ace's grasp, whimpering in delight at the sensations as Ace took the hint and picked up his pace, eliciting groans at the pleasure coming from both his neck and cock.

A pressure began building inside him, making him whine and beg without sense "A-ace please I'm so close"

Ace relinquished Sabo's neck to meet his lips in another kiss, picking up the pace with his hand on Sabo's cock, his other hand finding Sabo's nipple and _pinching_.

Sabo arched his back with a cry, all the different pleasurable sensations hitting him at once making his release splatter into Ace's hand.

He panted against Ace's chest, Ace's hands coming up to rub his back and help calm his racing heart.

Sabo released a breathy laugh "I'd have helped you get off but I certainly didn't forget that interesting tidbit about-"

"About demons having different reproductive systems, and energy consumption systems, so yeah we don't have genitalia" Ace finished, hands settling on Sabo's back

"Yeah" Sabo grinned "Thanks for that, though I am rather messy now"

Ace grinned back "Well there _is_ a very well maintained pond right next to us?"

\----

Sabo stood away from the group of whitebeards gathering to say goodbye, adjusting Luffy's backpack, tightening the straps and buckles that held the little thing to his tiny frame.

"I'm still impressed you guys had a Supernatural backpack, in a kid's size none the less" Ace chuckled, shaking his head "Comedy at its finest"

 His eyes caught Sabo's for a brief moment, and a small smile was thrown his way. Ace flushed before grinning back, his memories from last night still very strong and pleasant.

Marco elbowed him "You're too obvious, you gross in love fuck"

Ace rolled with it, lightly punching him in the shoulder in retaliation "So I'm happy everything worked out, bite me"

Marco accepted the punch, grinning "You two will be happy with Luffy, He's a good kid. You're" he poked Ace in the chest "A good kid, you'll make a find demon entrapper out of him"

"Or banisher, if Sabo has anything to say about it" Ace joked, watching Sabo fuss over Luffy's new boots.

Marco shrugged "I'm sure you'll come to an agreement." They both silenced as Sabo came over, Luffy in tow.

"I knew it, you two are just a pair of gossiping hens" Sabo humoured, Luffy bounding up and around them in circles, excited to start the next leg of their adventure.

"That's us" Ace conceded "A couple of old women with too much time on their hands"

"Speak for yourself" Marco shoved him towards Sabo, who slipped an arm around his waist "I have some fortunes to cast, go find your retirement bungalow and get your grossness away from us"

Ace slipped out of Sabo's grip to get their backpacks "Oh yes the perfect retirement, just me the extinct fire demon, the demon banisher, and the demon entrapper in training"

"Don't forget half the private government contracted forces after us" Sabo inputted, eliciting a frustrated groan from Ace who handed over the lighter of the two backpacks to Sabo.

"We'll just kick their ass!" Luffy piped up from below.

"Luffy!" And there went Sabo, swooping in to cuff Luffy's head "What have we said about using that language?"

Luffy whined as Izo and Thatch approached chuckling "Ew Izo look at how gross it is, they're domestic"

"Positively vomit worthy" Izo concurred from his side, the two of them floating a few feet in the air.

Ace stuck out his tongue, doing up the straps of his backpack. The Whitebeards had provided them with the necessary supplies to hike to the coast, loads of food, first aid kits, and soaps so the two humans could actually bathe on the trip (something they managed to get done with the Whitebeards but would probably need to get done at least one more time before they reached the ocean) Ace, for one, was immensely thankful.

Boots on, Backpacks strapped, and well wishers gathered meant the three were ready to leave. Over a third of the Whitebeard forces had gathered to say goodbye to the trio, many wishing Luffy good luck on his training once they reached the coast.

As they all finished their goodbyes Luffy took one of Sabo's hands and one of Ace's, grinning like he'd won the lottery.

"What?" Sabo inquired at Luffy's grin.

"Told ya" Luffy proudly proclaimed, bouncing in his step and swinging their connected hands.

When he didn't elaborate, the two adults looked to each other, then back to Luffy "Told us what?"

"That you'd like each other!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaaand we get the explicit saboace everyone has always wanted, plus the whitebeards finally showed up! When I was first planning this fic my biggest dilemma was whether they should go to the whitebeards or the revs, because i couldn't decide who (Ace or Sabo) would concede victory to the other first. That's why, ultimately, they never agree and decide on a middle ground (the beach) however i knew i wanted to touch base with both groups so the readers could become familiar with the groups, that's why we had the chapter with Koala (and Ivankov's chapter) and why we had this whitebeard chapter. I promise you we are not done with either group! Thank you everyone for the kind reviews!!!


	12. So Cold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all get an early update because cryptids are apparently incapable of keeping a consistent update schedule, and Strays by aslbrosyo on fanfiction dot net just updated and I am HYPED (no seriously if you're not already reading it what are you doing) no warnings for this chapter besides a crap ton of angst folks!

"You know" Ace absently commented "I'm getting really sick of this shit"

They'd been travelling without incident for a few days, through forest and over highways, on one memorable occasion they'd even crossed a mountain pass (and without Ace's fire they would have certainly frozen)

It'd been a nice a few days, chatting with Luffy, holding hands with Sabo, kissing Sabo. They hadn't gone as far as that first night together by the pond, more out of urgency to reach a safe place for Luffy than any lack of passion between them, but Ace was certainly looking forward to reaching safety. 

The whitebeards had informed them of an out of use shack they, technically, owned that was next to a beach not far from their territory. It had been a favourite of theirs for some time before they moved more inland and were ultimately forced to abandon it. Legally it was still theirs, and would be perfect for their uses.

Every time Ace caught Sabo's eye, or his fingers brushed his palm, Ace's heart fluttered all over again. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have such a passionate, intelligent, and strong man by his side, especially one who shared his values and was even willing to go to the lengths of the earth to protect Luffy. Sabo was willing to give up everything for the two of them, and for that Ace was eternally grateful.

But every time he caught sight of the scars stretching across his face, Ace's chest tightened with guilt and regret. Sabo was doing everything in his power and making every sacrifice to protect them, and all he'd gotten out of it was one blind eye and a scar that would never leave. He'd been fighting every fight for them, and even comforting Ace's own self doubts. Sabo had been there for them at every turn, and Ace just didn't know how to repay him.

But every time Sabo caught his eye he smiled, and Ace's chest filled with warmth all over again at the sight of that happiness. Sabo's smile was the very vision of joy and wonder that Ace wanted to praise and worship on his knees.

There were certainly other parts of Sabo's body he'd like to praise and worship as well, preferably on his knees.

So when Luffy randomly started crying on a normal cloudy day, Ace was understandably concerned. The day had been normal, as had their previous days been. There was nothing obviously upsetting the boy, one minute he'd been fine and the next he'd suddenly started bawling.

"Hey, hey what's up?" Ace came to a knee in front of the boy, Sabo stopping a couple feet ahead catching his breath. He'd been carrying the heavier backpack for the last stretch, they'd switch off every hour or so, so Sabo probably appreciated the breather even if he didn't enjoy Luffy's tears.

Luffy heaved a huge sob before blubbering out "They're coming, He's coming"

Ace blinked once, then twice, then looked to Sabo who was grimacing.

Ace choked out "I have literally never heard anything more ominous in my entire life"

Sabo turned to face him "Less talking more running. Now!"

And so they began crashing the underbrush, Ace carrying Luffy and the lighter backpack while Sabo still kept the heavy backpack. Their pace was faster than before, but not by much to avoid tripping over  roots peeking out from the soil and random half burrows dug by rodents. What head start their new pace did manage to accomplish was exhausting them both.

And if their pursuers managed to catch up to them in the next hour or so, well that sucked monkey balls.

"Yeah well!" Sabo retorted to Ace's sarcastic cry "I'm not exactly enjoying this either"

Despite his attempt at nonchalance, Ace was worried. Really worried. Luffy had been scared before, hell he'd been scared for most of this adventure probably, but he'd never reacted quite this extremely. In Ace's arms he was still shaking and crying, clinging to his shirt with little tightly clenched fists.

Ace was just counting his lucky stars Kizaru of the holy trio hadn't decided to make an entrance yet and ruin their entire fucking day. So far it had only been your regular run of the mill (very annoying) grunt guards.

"Fuck the beach" Ace shouted in Sabo's direction "I want a goddamn island where they will _never_ find us"

"I'm down" Came Sabo's exhausted reply from somewhere to his left "Just gotta scrounge up a couple million dollars somewhere, should be easy"

Ace went to continue their witty and hilarious flirt/banter when Luffy's cries suddenly increased tenfold, closer to screaming than sobbing at this point.

"Sabo..." He warily called out "I think something's wrong"

"Ace, Ace, Ace, Ace" Luffy blubbered, clutching his chest and looking up to meet his eye "Ace He's coming"

There were few feelings that could really compare to ones like this, that feeling of realization like a cartoon character running off a cliff and suddenly looking down to realize you've run out of ground. Your heart flies into your throat while simultaneously dropping out your feet leaving you empty and heaving, wondering how things had been normal just a moment ago. You claw your fingers desperately through the air looking for something to grab a hold of to slow your descent, but the cliff is gone and all that's left is your flailing corpse flying through the air, the ground a million miles away.

"Ace" Luffy begged, tears and snot leaking onto his shirt in desperation.

"It's okay" He whispered, his voice a strange sort of calm he desperately tried to capture for himself because inside he was anything but calm "We'll protect you, I'll protect you, remember?" He wrapped his pinky into Luffy's "Pinky promise, forever and ever"

Luffy sniffled, then wiped his nose on his hand "Okay" he was still crying, but not shouting or screaming anymore which Ace considered a blessing. No more broadcasting their location to every enemy in the forest looking for them.

"Sabo!" He shouted, angling his run to meet up with the demon banisher "Sabo! Take Luffy!"

"What?!" Sabo's voice came from a little ahead of him, and Ace pushed himself to catch up "Ace, I have the heavier backpack and I'm kind of dying right now!"

"I know, I know" Ace panted, arms aching and full of eleven year old boy "But they've got a demon with them that I can handle, you just have to take Luffy and run like a bat out of hell, I'll catch up"

Sabo looked over, face flushed and red with exhaustion. They both knew Sabo was too exhausted to fight this time, and Sabo didn't even know what caliber the demon behind them was.

"Yeah okay" They both slowed to a stop to transfer Luffy, but before Luffy even left Ace's arms he began thrashing in protest "No! No, Ace you can't go!"

Ace struggled to retain his grip on the struggling boy, barely avoiding a flying fist to the face "Luffy! Luffy, we don't have time for this, Sabo will look after you and I'll be back before you know it" He grinned in assurance, but it did nothing for the crying boy who continued to sobbing "No, No, No, No"

Sabo scooped him into his arms despite the tears and begging "We'll hightail it out of here, But so help me god if you get soaked I will kill you myself"

Ace dropped his backpack onto the ground, stretching his shoulder "Don't worry I have no intentions of it"

Sabo huffed "You never do" He moved in towards Ace, their lips meeting in the middle in a silent farewell. They parted after a second, keeping it chaste for their younger, still very upset company "Be careful and try your best okay?" Sabo whispered against him.

"I will" he promised, because it was all he could promise. He couldn't promise he'd be back, couldn't promise he'd defeat this enemy, couldn't promise he'd ever have the chance to kiss him again, but he could promise he'd put in his absolute effort to see them.

Sabo nodded, swallowing tears before turning to run with the wailing Luffy, backpack obscuring Ace's chances of watching him go.

Ace walked a few feet forward, away from his backpack on the forest floor and away from the direction Sabo had taken off in, before letting his flames flare to life across his shoulders, heat from within rising to the surface to melt away muscle and skin allowing him to grow much taller and more ferocious. A wall of flames shot out from either side of him catching the darkness trying to creep by.

"Teach!" he roared, the blackness gathering before him into a solid form, A fat man with missing teeth and dark matted hair framing a crazed broken grin.

"Zehahaha It's my favourite fire demon, once again stealing away my toy" He spread his arms wide, a mockery of the fire wall keeping him at bay "I have no fight with you Hiken, let me pass and we both come out of it easier"

"Luffy is my charge" he growled, otherworldly voice echoing voice reverberating through the forest "And you are my enemy. Turn away now and give up this chase, or fight me"

The demon of darkness' next laugh was something much more menacing, a deep insane bone rattling laugh of an unhinged individual, specifically designed to frighten. The specialty of a demon of darkness. His solid form leaked into an ever growing mass of darkness, towering over Ace "Then fight, we shall"

\----

To say Sabo was tired would be the understatement of the year.

They'd already been trekking for days _before_ the Kaigun caught up to them _again_ and forced them to run for their lives through this forest and underbrush, and he'd already been running with the heavy backpack when Ace practically threw Luffy into his arms to face the demon apparently chasing them. Sabo wasn't tired, Sabo was afflicted with a bone deep exhaustion that promised him long rest once he managed to settle down.

Speaking of settling down, Luffy was not. Every since they'd left Ace's side he'd been an absolute wreck, his screaming and begging falling to whimpers and the occasional hiccup, but he certainly hadn't stopped crying. Once they'd made it inside the seaside city they'd been aiming for since they'd left the Whitebeards he put Luffy down, having him walk alongside him to attract less attention (and save his arms from just giving up and falling off onto the sidewalk)

The town was small, and calm in that way that undiscovered seaside towns sometimes were. Locals mingled about doing their mundane everyday tasks while surfers from out of town made their way to the ocean to catch their last few waves of the day. Not even the cyclist with the surfboard tied to the side of his bike managed to cheer up Luffy.

They followed the surfers to the beach, then began making their way down the sandy coastline, following the instructions given to them days ago. Waves crashed in and seagulls flew overhead, but the clouds blocking the sun washed everything in gray giving the normally happy locale a much more somber feeling.

It took them hours to reach the isolated shack, and by that point they couldn't even see the small sea side town they'd left behind. Luffy sniffled the entire way, occasionally letting loose a hiccup or tearful sob.

The hut was appropriately abandoned, the windows were broken and the front room was soaked in ocean spray, but the rest of the two story house was decently dry and stable, and very isolated from society. They'd need to fix it up for sure, but they'd have plenty of time.

Luffy was holding Sabo's hand, leaning against his thigh still occasionally sniffling and hiccupping but drooping all the same. Sabo sighed, finally dropping his backpack with relief into the relatively dry dining room "You're probably tired, and Izo packed us some blankets. Let's see what's inside this house then go to bed, yeah?"

He received no verbal reply, much to his chagrin but decided to ignore it for now. Luffy was probably much more tired than Sabo was with how he'd been crying for hours on end.

A search of the house revealed a dining room, kitchen, and living room within the bottom floor. The front entrance most directly facing the ocean was the unusable one, for now. He didn't test any of the kitchen appliances yet, already knowing this isolated shack didn't have running electricity but wanted to see later if maybe there was a generator hooked up somewhere waiting to be turned on.

A gentle test of the stairs unveiled they had withstood the test of time and ocean well, supporting the two of them without problem. A few of the upstairs room couldn't say the same as Luffy's ankle fell through the floor of the ocean facing bedroom, however a bathroom and another bedroom had managed to stay preserved and sturdy.

"Well this is nice" Sabo entered the forest facing bedroom with Luffy, their steps creaking the aged gray wooden floorboards. Luffy stood in the doorway, warily prodding the floor with his toe despite Sabo having walked on it just fine.

"There's even a nice bed frame" He smiled, patting his hand on the squeaky mattress atop it "And this mattress isn't so bad, I hope" he murmured to himself.

Luffy just stared at him, his eyes red rimmed and drooping with exhaustion. Sabo sighed, moving to pick him up despite his arms complaining from carrying the boy for so long earlier "Come on, it's time for bed time"

He gently placed the boy on the bed "I'll go get you the blankets" he whispered, moving to stand.

"He isn't coming back" Luffy's eyes glistened, his tears having run out from hours of crying before "He isn't"

Sabo wanted to protest. He wanted to tell Luffy Ace was the most powerful fire demon in existence, that nothing would stop him (especially not some half wit fuck the Kaigun thought to summon, they'd faced one of the holy trio together after all)  But Luffy... Sabo knew Luffy well enough now to know that Luffy just sometimes knew things.

"Let's just keep our hopes up" he whispered, his voice cracking. His heart was clenching and he wanted to pretend he didn't know why.

\----

Sabo sat alone in the living room on a semi rotted couch. Waiting.

Luffy had fallen asleep some hours ago, cuddled up in blankets brought over from the Whitebeards, face still covered in snot and tears. Luffy wasn't waiting because Luffy knew Ace wasn't coming back.

Sabo didn't want to think about that.

He didn't want to think about the demon who had sacrificed so much to protect one little innocent boy when he could have turned away and done nothing. Didn't want to think about the man who took all the time in the world to entertain and protect Luffy, to make sure he never felt alone. Who fought despite being injured and soaked in water, who agreed to spend years in the Land of Living away from his family he hardly ever saw because one stubborn asshole refused to give them a chance.

He especially didn't want to think about those lips on his for what might have been the last time.

_"Be careful and try your best okay?"_

Because he couldn't make him promise to come back, because there was no way Ace would make that promise.

He choked on a sob, doubling over in an effort to keep it in and prevent Luffy from hearing. He told Luffy to keep his hopes up but Luffy _knew_ and Sabo was giving up and he didn't want to think about what it would mean for them, for him and Ace, for Luffy, if he didn't come back.

Would they manage, could Sabo truly train Luffy the way he needed to be to be safe? Was he better off with the revolutionaries?

He was surprised Ace didn't manifest from the depths of hell to slap him for even considering it, not that Luffy would consent to going against his and Ace's genius plan.

He could bring Luffy to the Whitebeards, if he really struggled with training the boy but the thought of that still left a sour taste in his mouth despite everything they'd done for them. He could justify to his superiors protecting the boy, but not handing him over to the wild supernatural cultists.

He dropped his head into his hands with a groan. He needed to check in with Koala to let her know they'd arrived and were (relatively) safe. He needed to patch up the front of the house to keep either of them from getting sick (and good god what did they do if _that_ happened, If Luffy got sick? If _Sabo_ got sick? The nearest town was hours away by foot and they didn't have any other means of transportation)

Sabo wanted to curl up in a ball and cry, he wanted to tell someone else to take over for him and deal with this bullshit situation, he wanted to just disappear off the face of the earth and sleep for a couple years until all of this was dealt with.

A gentle knock on the front door broke his train of thought rather quickly.

His heart lurched into his throat, his eyes watering with desperate hope against hope. He tripped over his feet in his attempts to stand and run to the door all in one movement, resulting in him face planting into the (moldy) carpet. Without even pausing he rushed into the sodden front entrance room and whipped open the door, however was much too shocked as to who actually stood in front of his door to be disappointed.

"Ivankov?"

Brushing past him Ivankov walked into the living room past the ruined front entrance way, followed by the head of the entire revolutionary army Dragon himself, then Koala and Hack.  

He somehow felt like his problems had gotten a lot worse.

\----

Ivankov was, for some reason absolutely unknown to him, in a much more toned down version of their regular outfit. Their makeup was so much tamer than he'd ever seen them wear, and their fishnets-stiletto combo had been switched out for pants and flats, which meant Sabo couldn't hear them whenever they walked around and honestly he was going to have a heart attack from the stress.

Dragon was just sitting and staring at him (and Sabo wasn't sure he'd seen him blink even once this entire time) in his normal stupid trench coat cloak thing.

Koala and Hack had stolen some questionably table chairs from the dining room because there wasn't enough room on the couch for all of them and no one felt like cramming onto the furniture with two of the three heads of their organization.

"Ivankov and Dragon intercepted me on my way back from beating your ass" Koala explained once they'd all sat "Hack had been sent to escort me back after they got reports of demons in the area, but then they insisted we all come to you and your kid"

"I don't know why I'm here" Dragon grunted, and Sabo jumped almost never having heard his Boss speak before "But Ivankov insisted and I trust their instincts"

Said cultist looked distinctly uninterested in the conversation or adding any input, instead looking around the room at the peeling wallpaper and broken windows.

"Well" Sabo finally responded "I'm glad you're here. This kid had a demon protecting him but he's been taken out and I don't know if I can properly train him"

"And you trusted a demon?" Hack implored. The Jujitsu master had been knocking he and Koala on their asses since they first joined and he still could (and would) today. Didn't mean Sabo felt like putting up with his bullshit.

"Yes" Sabo hissed "I trusted that demon, and so did Luffy-" Ivankov's head snapped over but Sabo used enough to their oddities to keep going without pause "-and things were fine but they- The Kaigun-  have some really powerful demons under contracts that we should deal with for the sake of the world"

"Luffy?" Ivankov asked, their voice wavering just the slightest.

"Yeah, Luffy, the really powerful demon entrapping kid. He trusts Ace and so do I" he leaned back crossing his arms over his chest "He's got good instincts like that"

"Can't be the best if he trusted a demon" Dragon grumbled.

Sabo groaned "You don't understand the kid just knows things without being told, he can read you in a second and tell if you're trustworthy. Ace gave me this scar" he gestured wildly to his face " _protecting_ Luffy. So forgive me if I think it might not be a bad idea to go rescue him"

"Now hold on" Hack stood, facing Sabo "Nobody said anything about rescuing a demon. He made his bed, and in it he should lie"

"Koala" he begged his partner "You've met him, you have to back me up on this, Ace is a good man"

"Sabo..." Koala looked to the floor, her hands in her lap "It's a giant risk, we'd be threatening the entire revolutionary organization launching an attack on a fortified government base on our own. Not to mention all the lives that would be at stake for one demon Sabo" she pleaded "It's just not worth it"

His heart cracked and crumbled in realization. They weren't here to help Ace, nor were they here to help Luffy. They were here to take him and do exactly what Ace had been worried about, turning him into a supernatural fearing weapon for their own uses.

Sabo buried his face into his hands, his shoulders slumped in defeat. What could he do? He couldn't stop Dragon from taking Luffy, he couldn't save Ace from the Kaigun, and he couldn't do anything about either of those problems. There'd be no fixing up this rickety house for Luffy, no repairing the squeaky stairs...

Speaking of rickety old house and squeaky stairs, Sabo could hear a pair of tiny feet land on the ground above him in the bedroom and come running towards the stairs. He heaved a giant sigh, not ready  to deal with the inevitable fate awaiting the two of them. How was he supposed to explain it all to him?

Luffy's feet hit the stairs at top speed, racing down them with no regard for the age or disrepair the house had fallen into, already forgetting the incident with the ocean facing bedroom upstairs.

Absently he shouted "Luffy be carefu-" but was cut off by Luffy's ecstatic scream of

"MOM!"

\---

In those next few seconds you would have been able to hear a pin drop in _China_.

Everyone froze mid argument at Luffy's proclamation from the bottom of the stairs, Luffy himself stopping to take in all the new people and presences. Dragon looked to Koala, Koala hit him (hard), Hack handed Koala a twenty, and Ivankov started crying without even having moved.

And all Sabo could think about was how many people he owed money to as well.

Ivankov stood and Luffy _launched_ himself past Dragon into Ivankov's arms, a hysterical laughing sob coming from one (or both) of them as they clung to each other like they'd never see each other again (and from what Sabo knew, it was a fair fear)

" _My boy_ " Ivankov cried " _My baby boy how I've missed you_ "

" _I missed you too Mama_ " Luffy whimpered " _I missed you so much and I tried to be good but Grandfather wouldn't let me leave and I wanted to go to Russia but I-_ " he heaved a heavy breath, grip tightening to his mother's jacket.

" _I'm never letting you go_ " Ivankov whispered, standing with Luffy in their arms to move back to the couch.

Hack collapsed back into his seat, a heavy sigh on his lips "I think I owe every cultist in the ranks money"

Koala giggled hysterically into her hand "I owe Bon Clay _at least_ a hundred dollars"

Dragon rubbed his chin "I do believe Kuma has earned himself a three week's vacation in the Bahamas this summer, at my expense" he mumbled lowly.

"Fuck" Sabo whispered "I owe Splash and Splatter _each_ a dirt bike"

"I do believe many of the hunters are no indebted to the their cultist counterparts" Dragon agreed lowly.

Koala groaned "Inazuma is going to be a millionaire"

Ivankov leaned back on the couch, Luffy situated comfortably on their lap "You people placed bets on me? I'm almost flattered" They turned a stink eye on Dragon "I want in on that Bahamas vacation"

Dragon's chin hit his chest, his arms crossed bitterly "I'm gonna be a poor man by the time your division is done collecting"

"Dad" Luffy piped up "Can I go to the Bahamas with Mom?"

This time every person in the room froze, including Ivankov who's eyes widened to incredible proportions, and jaw dropped dramatically. Sabo's jaw dropped to his knees, and Koala tried to stand, only to stumble and fall from her chair.

Dragon hadn't changed positions, but his eyes had popped out of his sockets, slowly turning to glance at Ivankov who looked just as shocked as him.

"S-sweetie I think you mean Dragon" Ivankov tried, meeting Luffy's eyes. Facing his eyes however had them giving up "Oh fuck it, Dragon meet your son"

"I can't even begin to understand" Hack moaned, helping Koala up from the floor. Sabo whined in distress and confusion, wondering how his world had been so thoroughly thrown around in such a short amount of time.

Dragon blinked once, twice, then three times seeming to come a conclusion "They said everyone died in that experiment"

Ivankov rolled their eyes "I was _pregnant_. Saved my life apparently"  

Dragon released a strong exhale "How did I not see it?"

The cultist simply shrugged in response "I changed a lot"

\----

Sabo respected that Dragon didn't want to risk his organization he'd spent 7 years building or the lives he'd been entrusted just for a demon he'd never met and didn't trust. But that didn't mean he was just going to sit by and do nothing.

Ivankov was sleeping upstairs with Luffy, the pair refusing to part after being separated for 8 years. Koala had set up a sleeping bag in the room with them, on the floor. Dragon had taken the couch while Hack set up a similar position to Koala downstairs.

Sabo was supposed to be on watch, two of the revolutionary army's three leaders gathered in the same place was a target for Kaigun and demons alike. He could only hope they'd forgive him for leaving them defenceless.

And he _prayed_ Hack would forgive him for taking his motorbike.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY OKAY OKAY so did any of you catch the tiny throwaway line chapter 9 where Bon Clay asked about the packed bags off to the side? have some internet points if you did because HERE THEY ARE. Also if any of you were curious about the whole Ivankov - Luffy situation, Luffy didn't recognize Ivankov in the picture (back in the really early chapters if any of you remember that) because they'd changed a lot since he'd last seen them, however he sensed their aura when they arrived so it didn't matter at all how much they'd changed. Also Ivankov was wearing a more toned down outfit because they were worried Luffy wouldn't recognize them but of course it didn't fucking matter :,) Fun fact: Caroline and Elizabeth were added to chapter 9 in a much later draft and after much editing, so when I got to editing this chapter I noticed I'd originally written Sabo (in the first draft) as owing Caroline a dirt bike... my heart broke a little.


	13. The Reluctant Heroes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do I have a consistent update schedule? No, but do I had a good excuse? Also no. Enjoythechapterwarningsattheendkthxbye

He was confused.

His whole body shook with tremors, giant shivers racking his frame and clattering his teeth. He wanted to sleep _so badly_ but he was so, so cold. The cold penetrated his body, slipping beneath his skin and settling on his bones with painful pins and needles. It leeched away his energy, leaving him shaking and shivering on the frozen floor.   

He was so exhausted. Even breathing took so much energy it left him gasping, from both the cold and his own painful burnout. He'd hoped, somehow, his other vastly more powerful form would have saved him this, but instead it cost him everything.

It wasn't enough.

They didn't even need to restrain him he was so debilitated by his own lack of energy and strength. He needed to _move_ he needed to _escape,_ he needed to reach Sabo and Luffy so they could train together, and live together, but first he needed _out_.

A strong spray of cold water elicited a pained hiss from his lips, as he desperately curled inwards to a fetal position hoping to avoid the water stealing his energy and the cold breaking his spirit.

"Watch him, we're getting close" One of the disembodied voices from beyond his blurred vision commanded. He could barely see past three feet beyond him he was so bone dead _tired_. They'd been spraying him, since they'd started travelling hours ago, keeping him too wet and cold to even consider escaping.

Not that he hadn't considered it, but he couldn't even move to avoid the hose of water they deluged him with. He was just so fucking cold.

He wasn't used to being cold, his fire always kept it away even when he was wet, but he was too soaked for even a spark to warm him now. He hated it, hated the way it hurt him deep beneath his skin where he couldn't reach.

 The truck slowed, the engine quieting as they come to a stop. The guards and scientists inside all watched him warily, as if waiting for him to suddenly burst free from the comatose fatigue that'd held him down since he lost the battle with Teach.

Teach the cold blooded _coward_. He was the worst of demonkind, the most cruel and evil man he'd ever met and Ace had met too many awful horrible people in his decades alive. Demons were infamous and renowned for their powerful terrible ways but Teach was worse than them all by far.

He'd had him! Ace had been winning their fight as the hours passed and it became more and more obvious that Ace was the more powerful of the two, but then Teach had stopped fighting and started running.

He thought he'd won with Teach's retreat, and he was so foolish to believe him and give the benefit of the doubt because when he'd turned his back-

Teach had struck.

The cold was stabbing him, stealing his breath from his lungs and sleep from his eyes forcing him into a painful state of purgatory, shivering and shaking, internally begging for it all to stop. He was so tired of being cold.

The back doors of the truck flew open, every head inside swivelling to face the guards who opened the doors inspecting the cargo hold. He desperately stared down the outside guard, silently begging for help with shaking lips and clenched fingers.

The guard outside the doors stammered out "You got him under control?" nervously backing up a few steps, eyes not leaving his curled form on the floor.

"Yeah" A hazmat suit wearing guard within the truck laughed "He hasn't been able to say a word since we got him in here. Docile as a bunny"

The first guard didn't look convinced, but he nodded closing the doors "Make sure you keep it that way" the solid back doors slammed shut flooding the room in darkness save the dim fluorescent lamps lining the walls.

"You heard the man" a voice Ace couldn't see near the front commanded "We gotta keep him this way" 

He was drowned by the hose again. He wanted to screech and crawl away, he wanted to sob and beg for forgiveness, he wanted to sleep and never wake up.

The truck pushed forward, the gates outside open.

He coughed, again and again trying to rid the feeling of water filling him to brim and dousing every ember inside him. His fingers desperately clenched and unclenched, looking for warmth when there was none to be found.

The truck moved for some time before coming to another stop, Ace's eyes drooping at this point despite the pain and adrenaline keeping them open. His instincts wouldn't let him sleep but his weakness demanded rest.

 The back doors open again, and instead of wary guards stand three tall figures in white suits, each bearing a scrutinizing gaze analyzing Ace's crippled form on the truck floor.

" _This_ is the last fire demon in existence?" Sengoku sneered, raising an eyebrow at the demon in question.

Garp grunted in agitation "They need to keep him docile for their own safety. You saw what he did to the tank room" he defended.

Vegapunk approached the truck bed, analyzing him "He certainly is the one who the boy brought over. What a powerful creature reduced to nothing"

Ace wanted to snarl, kick and claw his way to the smug bastard and show him what _nothing_ was.

But he couldn't even lift his head.

The hazmats begin moving, dragging his unrestrained (unresisting) arms to the edge where Vegapunk stood aside for a metal gurney to be brought over. They heaved his body up and onto the stretcher, dropping him without care. They strapped him in, straps over his arms, chest, legs, and neck. Nothing left to chance.

Facing the sky, he could see the tops of trees lining the facility, the giants just outside the fence that survived the clearing done for these buildings to be built. All together reaching for the lightening sky. The sun was rising, birds were flitting about above him, singing their morning songs.

_Ace released one last snicker before finally falling onto his back, staring up at the canopy above them. With Sabo lying next to him he was perfectly content. He looked over at the still giggling blond boy, his smile stretching across his cheeks tugging at the still very raw and fresh burn spreading across his side. The sunlight caught in his hair, making it sparkle and shine in the damp early morning air. Ace could tell how refreshed he was, how much happier at having gotten to relax for just a little bit._

His chest hurt, deeper than the cold and fatigue could hurt him, far deeper in his heart. He missed Sabo.

They began moving him, guards on either side of the gurney as if the exhaustion alone didn't prevent any movement on his behalf, let alone the straps holding him down. Eventually they wheeled him off the concrete parking lot and into the linoleum hallways of the Kaigun headquarters.

Gently he tilted his head up to catch one last glimpse of the outside world, ignoring the way every soldier around him jumped and fingered the triggers on their guns. The sun was rising, and a single sun beam managed to slip in through the trees to rest on his chest and give him the barest fingertip glance of warmth before being abruptly dissolved at the shutting of the doors.

It somehow left him even colder than before.

They wheeled  him through fluorescently lit halls, light after light blinding him as they went through bends and turns, elevators and secured doors, and finally into a more metal area. It was within this secure metal area that they came to a stop.

This room, while not immediately recognizable, was familiar. In the way an old home might feel, if you'd been abused in the home and hadn't returned for 20 years. Similar in a way that made you want to peel off your skin and burn the place to the ground.

"We had to renovate because of your little show when you first came over, but none the less it still stands strong. Good thing too, this equipment is expensive beyond your wildest dreams" Vegapunk was circling around, circling _him_ "No matter, we'll still get a use out of you"

 Ace's heart stopped, a desperate pathetic wheeze leaving his chest.

_"Am I really, by the way?" Ace piped up "Like, the last one. I know I haven't seen any others lately, and uh yeah my parents aren't around anymore but like, Seriously?"_

_"Well I mean" Sabo mumbled "Fire demons were thought to be extinct until we met you, because of their value as a power source"_

_"Humans have been able to summon demons for centuries" Koala continued "But only in the last 100 years or so have we been able to harness the energy of summonings, and demons themselves. It got really bad during the space race, and the cold war, and just wars in general really. Fire demons inexplicably provided the most energy, and they went extinct from being drained."_

He wanted to thrash against his restraints, rip through the straps and strangle the smug man. He wants to fight back with all his might and prove how powerful fire demons really were. He wanted that smirk to melt clear off his face, preferably with the skin still attached.

But all he could manage was a desperate, pathetic wheeze.

Standing tall in the middle of the room was the tank where they kept Luffy, where they forced a scared eleven year old boy to do their bidding regardless of cost, and regardless of the pain he suffered. The glass he smashed had been replaced, as had much of the equipment he'd burned, although you could still see scorch marks running up the walls. 

The scientists began moving around him, wiping areas clean of his ash despite more always being there. It took them too long to realize they could never get beneath the dirt coating his skin, But Ace wished it had taken them much longer. They stuck wires to his skin, some were inserted just under his skin with a needle. Some were stuck in deep under his flesh, causing him to cry out in pain. They mopped up the ichor he leaked and got back to work until he had over a dozen wires in each arm, and at least as many in his chest.

The hazmats release him from his straps, and he wished he had the energy to fight back. Instead all he could do was flop listlessly as they lifted him into the air, off the gurney and across the room, his feet dragging and leaving any ashy trail behind reminiscent of his scorch  marks marring the walls.

He was lifted up the precarious metal steps to the dominating tank. The ugly clown who'd been here when he'd freed Luffy still stood up here now, operating the computers and opening the hatch to-

Caesar leaned over him, a wicked grin dancing across his mouth "Shirororo Ice cold, perfect temperature for a fire demon like yourself"

He didn't even have time to brace himself before he was dunked in. Immediately he was inundated with water, an ice cold too similar to the hoses and the truck for his tastes, striking his flesh and under his skin where the wires had pierced to his very core.

He did manage a single tortured cry under the surface, reaching for the top of the tank already knowing he wouldn't have the energy to reach it. He felt ashes leaking off of his body, small globs of ichor mixing in already turning the water black.

Outside the window, seven figures watched.

It was easy to spot the three heads of the Kaigun standing in all their smug analytical glory. But next to them stood three figures, each adorning the Kaigun uniform but unrecognizable to Ace. It was the fourth figure towards the end of the line that made his blood run cold.

Teach.

The demon who tortured Luffy for no reason other than his own sick entertainment, who terrified and traumatized him just because he could. Who attacked them, who fought him, who tricked him, who captured him and separated him from Luffy and Sabo-

He realized who was standing between Teach and the heads of Kaigun.

All at once he released an agonized cry as they began draining his energy. His arm reaching for the surface fell to his side, floating in the water. His head fell back to watch the dark surface of the water and stop seeing Teach's smug face next to the holy trio.

They wouldn't be able to save him, Nobody could.

\----

"Luffy!"

Ivankov jerked awake before they had even registered they were awake, the familiar bond between them and their son alerting them to danger and pain before either of them were properly awake.

This powerful bond they hadn't felt in _years_ one that couldn't be matched, the bond not only between parent and child but between two who developed and grew supernatural powers together, who spent years with only each other as company. The bond Luffy used as a baby to communicate, the bond they'd been subconsciously reaching for ever since they'd had their baby literally ripped out of their arms by those evil men in white suits.

Suddenly being reunited, having him in their arms again was overwhelming. Not only was the bond making up for lost time by pouring every thought and emotion through to the other, but Ivankov hadn't realized how much they'd forgotten. The way Luffy's grin stretched across his entire face, the deep brown of his eyes that he'd inherited from his father, how his eyes would wander from you midsentence watching things only he could see.

It hurt to know how much they'd missed. Luffy was barely walking and barely speaking by the time they'd been separated, and now he was bounding around rooms and chatting to no end. He'd learned fluent _English_ while they were separate (and so had Ivankov, and Ivankov had changed a lot too while they were apart and that hurt more than anything) they'd both evolved from who they were before, and it was only their familiar bond that stayed the same.

The very same bond that had awoken them with a sharp pang of _warning_ and _danger_.

"Luffy" they repeated, their searching hands finding the shivering boy curled up on the edge of the bed. Gently they placed a hand on his forehead, recoiling in an instant at the heat emanating from the boy's forehead.

"Koala!" They urgently shouted, probably waking Dragon and Hack downstairs but getting the job done of rousing the girl sleeping on the floor into wakefulness.

She sat up right away, clutching her head and swaying from the sudden jump from asleep to upright, instincts honed from years of hunting demons on the road aiding in waking and getting up to aid Ivankov "What's going on? What happened?"

Ivankov gathered Luffy into their arms "He's fevering up, we need to cool him down and get him hydrated. See if you can run a bath"

"Right" Koala affirmed, sprinting out of the bedroom and just barely missing a collision with a bleary eyed Hack and Dragon, both having been awoken by Ivankov's shout.

Dragon marched into the room, eyes alert and searching for danger "What's going on? What happened?"

Hack followed in after Dragon, taking a guarding position near the window facing the forest.

"Luffy's fevering" Ivankov fretted, holding their boy in their arms as he sweat, his brow creasing in discomfort.

Dragon collapsed against the bed frame "That's all? He's sick" He looked around the room "That's not really a surprise given what he's been through, and what conditions we're staying in. Tomorrow we'll leave for the main base and get him help" he yawned "In the morning, after we've all had proper rest"

"No!" They snapped "Something's wrong, this isn't normal" they held their fevering boy closer, listening to his panting breaths interspersed with the occasional whine "Something's wrong" they repeated.

Dragon, at the very least, seemed to be taking them seriously, sitting next to them on the bed "Ivankov what is happening?"

They had never been more thankful for Dragon's loyalty than in that moment, when he sat down and looked them in the eye, taking their concerns seriously. Dragon had matured so much from the head strong brat they'd met in the Kaigun facility, he grown into a complete person more exposed to the world and ready to help. He believed them when they said they saw things, defended them from the bigotry within his own ranks, and when Ivankov said they _needed_ to get to Sabo he'd dropped everything to help them. He knew Ivankov, like Luffy, just sometimes knew things. He trusted them, and for that Ivankov was the luckiest person alive.

"I don't know" they whispered, a desperate hitch in their voice, a whine pathetic even to them. Something was wrong, they knew it, but for the love of god they didn't _what_.

Dragon nodded "Okay. We'll get him in a bath, we have bottles of water packed to keep him hydrated. In the morning we move to the nearby town, get him medical attention. Ivankov" He held their face in his hands, forcing them to look him in the eye "If he needs it we'll move sooner. We'll help every way we can, alright?"

"Alright" They nodded, regulating and slowing their panicked breathing "Alright"

"Ivankov!" Koala burst into the room, breathing heavy "Sabo's gone"

"What" Dragon snapped, eyes hardening only the way a man with far too little sleep and too many problems could, already standing up from his spot sitting on the bed.

"I can't find him anywhere in the house, and none of the plumbing works" she blurted out "Hell there isn't even any electricity. We've got water, but Hack your motorcycle is also missing"

"What!" Hack gasped, head spinning from the window for this first time since the conversation began.

"No" Dragon moaned, going to Hack's side to look outside "The sun is barely up. He must have left in the middle night"

Koala groaned in understanding "He isn't going to rescue Ace all on his own is he?" 

"No" Ivankov realized "He's going to the Whitebeards."

\-----

He'd been riding all through the night and into the morning, following the one dirt road from the shack they'd situated themselves in through the forest until it finally merged to a concrete road that led back to the nearby coastal town he and Luffy had come across the day before.

It was still dark when he reached the town, forcing him to ask for directions from the one 24 hour gas station actually open at whatever time it was. Sabo spent some of his limited funds on an energy drink, finally feeling the effects of the days of running and hiking, and the toll of not sleeping in nearly 24 hours was taking on his body.

Before the energy drink his steps had been slow and his eyelids dropping making the already dangerous task of driving through the pitch dark forest infinitely more likely to end in disaster. The cashier had given him a strange look, but otherwise ignored him, directing him to their maps for sale when asking direction.

It was probably for the best, it wasn't like he could exactly ask for directions to the Whitebeard forest. Ace himself hadn't even known exactly where they were, and Sabo hadn't thought he'd ever need to return.

He purchased his energy drink, along with a detailed map of the state, and a donut to silence his grumbling stomach. He gave a polite wave to the night shift employee, who ignored him in favor of looking back at his phone. Sabo exited the gas station and took a seat on a bench outside, biting into his donut and unfolding the map under the fluorescent lights reminiscent of the bus station he and Ace had slept over at waiting for their ill fated ride.

 

_"Just trust me" Sabo turned to face him, not letting go of his hand "I need to sleep and I guarantee this is the best way to get Luffy off your case. Look up"_

_Reluctantly Ace followed the command, but not before shooting Sabo a dirty look who responded with an encouraging smile. Hesitantly Ace looked up at the sky, and gasped in disbelief._

_Sabo took in Ace's face, his delight and amazement, his surprise and wide eyes taking it all in. He'd been right, this was a good idea for all he was doubting it 30 seconds ago._

_"Look over there" He came up next to Ace, pointing with his good arm towards the moon. Ace's jaw dropped at the sight, his eyes going even wider if that were even possible. He quietly whispered "What's that?"_

_"It's called the Moon" Sabo responded in hushed whisper "It's a giant rock high up in the sky that reflects the sun's light to us, even at night"_

_"Night" he whispered back "Our nights aren't like this"_

_"I didn't think so, When Luffy mentioned it being empty. Are there stars on the Other Side?"_

_"Stars?"_

_"Ah, the small pinpricks of light in the sky. I'm guessing not"_

_"No" Ace shook his head, not taking his eyes off the sky above him "We certainly don't"_

He sighed, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the wall behind him. It had been one of the first times Sabo had actually seen Ace as a person and not the evil fire demon who'd potentially ruined his demon banishing career.

And now he saw Ace as so much more, and he might never see him again.

He popped open his energy drink with his teeth, chugging it down in a few fast gulps before chucking the empty bottle into the trash next to him. He took another bite of his donut before turning to his map again.

He spent a few more minutes orienting himself under those fluorescent gas station lights before tucking the map in his back pocket and disposing of his donut wrapper in the garbage. Hopping on the bike again he drove off in the direction he guessed was most likely to bring him close to the Whitebeards.

He rode for hours more, over hills and through valleys in and out of forest and city. He rode as the sun began to peek over the horizon, and as the sun grew in strength until it shone powerfully overhead. He rode as he hit the forest lit by a golden glow seemingly from all sides, and as the bike sputtered and died out of fuel.

Sabo cursed every god he knew, cursed himself for forgetting to refuel, cursed the bike for not lasting longer, cursed Hack for not fuelling her up more, and most of all cursed Ace for sticking him in this situation. Just thinking of Ace and where he probably was had Sabo's heart clenching, his chest tightening in longing and worry.

"Well that doesn't seem productive to your problems now does it?"

Sabo whipped around to face the heavy lidded immortal blond he'd met only days earlier. Without his knowing he released a relieved whine "Marco!"

Marco accepted Sabo's hug without complaint, despite Sabo absolutely launching himself with all his remaining strength into the awaiting arms.

"I'm guessing things are as rough on your front as they are ours, huh?" Marco dryly asked.

Sabo groaned from within Marco's arms "I was hoping things were all rainbows and daisies here and I could rally you all to battle"

"Don't worry" Marco chuckled "We're ready for battle"

Marco lead Sabo off the road onto a well trodden path through the brush, one he nearly missed in his rush to find the people he only hoped would be more sympathetic to Ace's cause than Sabo's own people.

Although he couldn't have imagined he would find _this_.

Giants and tree nymphs, ghosts and demons, Fae and knights, and even more gathered in the Whitebeard grove for war. For _Ace_.

"We got word a few hours after it happened" Marco explained, brining him through a crowd of dwarves comparing axes "Your people aren't the only ones with eyes around the world. We've been keeping an eye on Ace since you left us. He's family" He explained, leading them around a pair of water nymphs sparring "The Kaigun may not have known it but the holy trio sure did: This is a direct attack against us." He eyed Sabo "And the Kaigun _will_ know he's ours soon, and they'll sure as hell regret this"

Sabo couldn't stop swiveling his head around, the first time here had been overwhelming enough but now the place was purely saturated in supernatural creatures brimming with fury. You couldn't go three feet without bumping into someone with a pointy weapon, or a grump pouring over a spellbook. Up in the trees Fae flitted about, passing baskets and papers between stations high in the sky. In the lakes there were even merpeople, notoriously reclusive yet bringing all sorts of supplies from the lake floor for the trolls and others to work with.

Marco chuckled at Sabo's awe "There are few in our family who wouldn't answer when Pops calls"

"But there are some" he pointed out Marco's choice of words.

Marco sighed "Yes, some don't. Some have suffered greatly at the hands of demons, fire demons in particular. Squardo of the spider tribe will be keeping his people in the North, probably for the better."

Sabo nodded "But you think you can do it"

Marco smirked " _We_ can do it. You'll be helping, I know it" he nudged Sabo's shoulder "Once you've gotten some rest. That energy drink will only last you so long before you're really wiped. Don't worry" he assured "We aren't leaving until tonight"

Sabo relented, only because he already felt so dead on his feet "Promise you won't leave without me?"

"Pinky promise"

\-----

Sabo woke feeling like an elephant was standing on his chest, but he still forced himself to groggily open his eyes, moving one hand to wipe the sleep from them.

He'd dreamt of Ace, of their mundane times just walking together through forests and mountains with Luffy, of riding the bus together, of sleeping in the motel room together, their night by the pond.

He wished he'd flushed red at the memory, but all it did was send a painful ache to his chest, a broken painful longing. Ace was far, far away and it was going to take monumental efforts to change that.

And that started with sitting up, which more and more seemed like an impossible conquest, and if he were being honest with himself he could really use another hour or six of sleep-

A small arm flopped onto his face "G'back t'sleep Sabo" a young voice whined.

Now he was awake.

He sat up immediately, causing the small body that actually _was_ on his chest to roll off with a whine onto his legs. Sabo instantly shouted "Luffy?!"

Said boy whined, rubbing his eyes and clutching his head. He rolled to hug Sabo's legs, and prevent him from getting up all the while continuing to whine.

"He's sick" Sabo swore he was going to get whiplash from all the people sneaking up on him, and there was Ivankov (back in their regular makeup, but changed into battle gear) "You were resting and we needed to plan so we left him with you"

Sabo blinked at them unintelligently "I thought the revolutionaries weren't going to participate in this fight"

They snickered, moving to sit on the bed and gathering Luffy into their arms "The Revolutionaries weren't going to go into a fight against the Kaigun _alone_. Dragon was more than happy to offer anyone who volunteered a chance to fight by the sides of the Whitebeards, especially after seeing the force they'd collected. They have a reputation you know, and we have many excited hunters _and_ cultists out there ready to fight for your friend"

Sabo blinked at them, trying to fully grasp what they were saying. The Whitebeards were going to fight for Ace, he knew this. The Revolutionaries were going to help out, he didn't know this.

"When do we move out?" he managed to ask.

"In two hours" They replied "You, Koala, and some of the Whitebeard commanders will be leading the searches on the inside. Marco and Whitebeard will hold the outer gates to prevent reinforcements and lead an attack from the outside, along with most of our revolutionary volunteers. Dragon and I will search out Blackbeard and the holy trio inside to dispatch them"

Sabo cursed "All three of them are definitely there?"

"They are" They confirmed "Whitebeard wanted to go in himself, but he agreed he'd make more of, well let's say _impact,_ outside"

Sabo bit his lip, thinking it over before coming to a grin "An ancient mountain giant is going to lead an attack on this tiny government facility in the middle of nowhere"

Ivankov grinned in return "Indeed"

Sabo, for the first time since Ace was taken, released a solid chest rattling laugh "Well they better wear their brown pants"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter: a little kid gets a fever (guess who) also Ace gets fuckin tortured so I mean watch out for that *finger guns* Sorry for dropping off the side of the earth again, and the noticeable drop in quality. Not sure what I was on but this entire chapter was written in present tense so that needed fixing and I'm just generally ready to have this fic finished so I'm getting lazy with my editing apologies. I hope y'all are still enjoying, and buckle up cuz shit is getting real


	14. How To Start A War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! With another chapter that is mostly set up but hopefully you enjoy. Warnings at the bottom

Ace was barely aware of where he was, was barely even aware he was awake at all. He couldn't feel anything but bone crushing exhaustion and soul shattering cold. He was always so cold now. He just didn't have the energy to even try to heal or heat himself, he was so mind numbingly tired. They were taking so much from him, and he could have lived with that. He could have accepted that this was how it was going to end for him, that the road that had been his life had come to an abrupt stop and it was time get off. He'd been so ready to go for so long, he'd been so lonely it hadn't seemed like a big deal to just leave.

But now he had Luffy, and Sabo, and that alone gave him the tiniest spark of strength he needed to hold on tightly, to clutch the frayed end of rope that was life and shout "Not yet, Bitch!"

Not only did he want to see them both again so badly, so, so badly it made his heart twinge in an old familiar pain, but he could also tell they were hurting Luffy.

They were hurting Luffy through _him_.

It had taken too many brief moments of lucidity for him to realize that by draining his energy they were not only draining him, but through their bond Luffy as well.

It was hurting the young boy, making him sick trying to support Ace against the insatiable greed of the monsters holding him prisoner. It was taking far more than Luffy had ever given to help him, and if they weren't careful it would kill him too. Ace would never forgive himself, ever, if that came to pass. He was Luffy's protector, god he'd promised, he'd _sworn_ , he wouldn't leave the boy alone, that he'd never let harm befall him but he'd left him. Indirectly he was harming him, he was failing.

The obvious solution was to call off the deal.

Oh he'd tried. He'd reached out to that thin wisp of power between him and Luffy and he'd offered, then begged, then eventually tried to force Luffy into releasing Ace and saving himself.

But all the while Luffy held true, and while he may have just been a little boy he was still one of the most powerful demon controllers to ever exist. If Luffy didn't want to end the contract, Ace had no way of forcing him into doing so even if it would mean saving the poor child.

But Ace knew Luffy wouldn't do it, because he felt his own strength waning and thinning, felt the way his innards seemed intent to collapse in on themselves. He knew if Luffy stopped supporting him it would be an immediate and abrupt end for him. No Game Over, do not pass Go, do not return to the Other Side, do not collect 200 dollars. He would simply instantly cease to exist, just like all his predecessors before him had done.

 _Hold on_ Luffy whispered to him, when he could _Only a little longer, help is coming_

 _I don't have long_ he whispered back, allowing the oblivion of lethargy and freezing water to claim his mindset for the time being, floating out of lucidity for however long he could manage. He didn't have long at all.

\----

Sabo sat in the back of his inconspicuous truck, one of many the revolutionary army had donated for the battle, surrounded by his mish mash unit of supernatural and hunters that would have to listen to his every command once the plan got underway.

It was a huge risk, pretending to be an unscheduled delivery of supplies with outdated passcodes from Dragon's time at the facility (and Sabo still didn't know the whole story to that, only that it had been a very long time ago and had something to do with Luffy's conception, which he wanted to know literally nothing about) and hope the guards at the gate didn't notice anything amiss. If all went according to Plan A they'd get in no problem and his unit would be inside the buildings before the Kaigun even knew an attack was happening, and they'd have no resistance in their search once Whitebeard and Marco's distraction commenced.

However if Plan A went to shit (and the more he heard of Plan A the more he began to go over Plan B) they'd have to resort to Plan B, which involved he and Koala's units working together to force themselves into the facility and Whitebeard launching his distraction with their attack. They'd have to get themselves, and their teams, through the front lines of battle and into the buildings with minimal casualties. This plan posed several problems, mostly having pretty much every guard knowing they were in there meant any chance of stealth and surprise inside the building would be lost, which made the already dangerous plan much more dangerous.

He and Koala had each been paired with a cultist to aid them in their decisions, Sabo had gotten Inazuma who was apparently Ivankov's long time friend (and certainly looked the part) while Koala got Bon Clay, Ivankov's protégée. They were there to advise with their voodoo powers and alert them to danger should they be able to.

Sabo wouldn't say he was skeptical, but he was certainly... nervous. Inazuma would be accompanying them into the building, but once they were inside they'd be parting ways. Sabo would be searching the isolation cells, Inazuma would be joining Ivankov in the crtical battle against the holy trio. Sabo could appreciate Inazuma putting himself where he was most needed, but Sabo was still responsible for over a dozen lives. The stakes were high with great risk and little reward.

_Just Ace's life is all._

He clenched his fists, closing his eyes to focus on his breathing and reeling it in to a more regular pace. Saving Ace was going to be a side effect of their ultimate goal, taking down the government's hold in the supernatural world. Both the Whitebeards and the Revolutionary army had agreed if they were getting cocky enough to summon demons as dangerous as Teach and _the holy trio_ then they could no longer afford to leave the Kaigun to their own devices. Sabo just wished they had more time to plan and gather allies, he wished he had more backup plans than just B, he wished he knew where in the facility Ace was, he wished they'd never been forced into this battle so unprepared but every second counted. Every second wasted was a second more Ace could be dying alone in unfamiliar territory.

The trucks turned, the ride getting bumpier and everyone tensed. They were off the main roads now, going down the one road that led to the Kaigun headquarters. The sun had set awhile ago, they had the cover of darkness on their side for now.

He tensed at a small whine came from under his seat, from a _very_ familiar voice.

He quickly unbuckled himself from the bench, ignoring the looks he got from those around him as he kneeled and shot a hand under the bench, sure enough coming into contact with a small feverish shivering boy.

He turned an accusing glare at Inazuma, who stared him down without an ounce of regret "You knew" he insisted.

Inazuma softly sighed "Yes, but he was very persistent. He was getting on this mission one way or another" he defended, shrugging "I figured his safest place would be with you"

Sabo cursed himself, pulling Luffy from under the bench and onto his lap. He was now sweating and flushed, a bright red spread across his cheeks as his body tried to fight off whatever was ailing him. He was supposed to  be getting medical attention at the grove, he was supposed to be safe and far away from this battle.

If Sabo survived the battle, Ivankov was going to kill him.

He pulled his arbutus beads out from under shirt, clutching them and begging the higher powers above for as much as they were willing to give. They'd need every ounce of it.

\----

Their truck came to a slow stop, the lights off and everyone inside dead quiet. They stayed silent as they listened to the other trucks drive by them, their lights on conspicuously to appear less suspicious. It would do no good for those who needed to appear like they were supposed to be there to instead give the impression of a robber trying to sneak in, even if there end goal would be much more severe than just sneaking in.

Once all the other trucks had passed and the road finally quieted, Marco stood up from his spot near the front of the bench to face his unit. Over a dozen expectant eyes turned his way, faces full of apprehension and adrenaline, ready to get started.

"I know you're all antsy" several near the back barked out sharp laughs at that before silencing at his glare "But we need to approach this with utmost caution, and speed. Koala and Sabo are going to be relying on us being there if they're forced to resort Plan B, but also not giving them away and ruining plan A." a hand near the front rose up "Yes?"

"Won't Whitebeard give us away?" it was one of the revolutionaries, a particularly nervous looking recruit "A mountain giant isn't exactly stealthy, or subtle"

"He'll be behind us" Marco explained "About a couple miles back to be precise. No matter-" he rose a hand to cut off their frightened protests "No matter how this battle goes, no matter which plan we choose, we'll be starting without him. As you said, there is no stealthy or subtle way for him to approach"

He looked around, waiting for questions or more protests, and continued when he found none "We're still about a mile out from the facility ourselves, so we need to get moving if we're gonna have a snowball's chance in hell in helping out the infiltration teams should they need it. Our priority is _stealth_ and then _speed_. I do not want to hear a single word out of any of you unless you're gonna die, then you may quietly whisper your final words. I catch any of you talking otherwise, and they _will be_ your final words. Am I clear?"

A resounding "Sir, yes sir!" poured through the cabin. He nodded, eyeing each of them individually before shutting off all the lights inside the cabin and opening the doors. He jumped onto the soft dirt floor, watching and counting as two by two his unit disembarked and began the hike through the forest.

Behind him Haruta's and Namur's units continued doing the same, their respective commanders standing near the doors and watching their soldiers disappear into the blackness of the woods before them. Simultaneously their trucks emptied, and they began following their units.

Haruta gave him a look, a silent question of worry and fear.  They had proven themselves capable again and again, but they doubted themselves. It was hard to ignore and yet so easy to forget sometimes that Haruta was by far the youngest among them, hardly older than Ace. With a group as varied in aging rates as their own it was sometimes easy to forget a young face actually indicated youth.

He responded with what he hoped was reassurance, and confidence. They at least appeared to be reassured by his silent pep talk, continuing through the forest by his side.

Marco was nervous, and petrified. He knew this was a big job, he knew this was a big deal, and he knew he would probably lose some of his siblings in this fight. None of them were delusional, they were all going into this with the knowledge they may die. Those that weren't prepared to die in the name of their father, in the name of aiding one of their own, had stayed behind. Marco couldn't fault them for that, he knew better than most that life was a precious thing not to be easily thrown away.

He only hoped everyone with him in the forest tonight knew that as well.

\----

Everyone in the truck was holding their collective breaths. Five trucks, one with her unit, one with Sabo's, one with Dragon and Ivankov, one with Thatch and one with Izo, plus their respective units. All trying to get through some of the highest security the government had to offer, on a flimsy reason and outdated  (potentially expired) codes.

Should they fail, they had to force their way through, with no guarantee Marco or the units with him would be there in time to help. There was the very real possibility they were about launch themselves headfirst into a massacre.

Everyone in the truck released a short gasp when the truck jerked forward before progressing steadily. Koala immediately shot a glare at everyone, shutting them up immediately.

They'd managed to get through the gates, but that little collective noise could have given them away and ruined the chance they'd just been given. Luck was on their side, for now.

She rubbed her face, desperately trying to control her racing heart. She was ready for this, she knew she was, but that didn't stop her trembling hands. She was responsible for everyone in this truck, she was responsible for her  unit, their lives and their duties. They had a goal to accomplish.

She looked up and down the truck, at the rows of men, women, and others all putting their lives on the line for a common goal, a common purpose. Some of these people, most of them actually, had never met everyone here. They came from all parts of the world, different walks of life, different organizations entirely in some cases. A mix of revolutionary and whitebeard coming together.

She barely knew Ace, she'd spent maybe a couple hours with him at most, but Sabo trusted him. Sabo probably _loved_ him if she had to guess, but she'd only had a few tense interactions with the demon. But Sabo was her friend and partner, they'd been training together since day 1 and they'd been fighting together for years. She trusted his instincts in battle, so she had to trust him now. If he wanted to save Ace, she wouldn't question it, especially if their leaders were on board.

And to think, so many who had never met him before in their lives were contributing as well.

_Ace you will never understand how loved you are_

This time the truck was dead silent as they came to a stop.

Koala stood first, moving to the front of the truck. They began moving again, reversing in and out of the spot near the loading docks where they'd be able to disembark with the smallest chance of being spotted. They'd only have to get past whatever security they had there that didn't run at the first sign of Marco's attack.

She met the eyes of each and every person in that truck entrusting her with their lives. Every single creature, human and other, met hers back with confidence.

She didn't say anything, she didn't need to. They knew the plan, they knew the route they were taking and the areas they were searching. They just had to hope Marco's distraction worked, and Dragon's twelve year old plans were still valid.

If his codes worked then hopefully his blueprints would too.

She crouched, placing her hand on the handle that would pop open the doors for them and unleash them into enemy territory. All they had to wait for was Marco's attack.

\----

"Now!" He shouted , pushing open the doors and leaping from the truck bed onto the gravel, his silks and sleeves flowing with him. Behind him his people poured out and into the building, their movements quick and efficient to maximize their stealth and speed into the building. He stayed by the truck, his eyes darting around the loading docks in anticipation of attack.

Izo trusted Marco, but he didn't trust the instincts of humans. If they saw the attack coming the logical thing would be to run for the hills, and the courageous thing would be to charge into battle. He was counting on one of these two scenarios coming to pass and not the absolutely stupid unlucky third scenario, that would be they choose to ignore the battle sounds to continue guarding the loading docks of all places.

He was nervous, but he was also excited. He was here, fighting for his pops and brothers, in his element. The middle of a forest lush with nature and life, saturated in supernatural energy from decades of these foolish scientists playing with things they didn't understand. His heart positively thrummed at the prospect of fighting with real magik, in a real battle, against real enemies.

He felt a gentle tug in his chest, a small drain of energy before releasing the tightness and allowing the bond to grow slack again. He dropped his head, internally cursing himself. He couldn't get carried away, not when he was so far from his tree.

As the last of unit disappeared safely inside the facility he peeled himself from the truck entrance, ready to follow suit when people came sprinting around the corner, brandishing weapons and running after his unit.

It was a lucky thing they weren't a moment faster. Had they been just a bit quicker getting inside Izo may not have hesitated in his defensive attack, as it was it was a lucky thing he recognized them as members of Thatch's unit.

"Our entrance is blocked" one of them panted "A group of guards going to Marco's battle caught us on the way in"

"It was brutal" the other explained, clutching a bleeding leg "We've lost a lot of men already, they caught us by surprise"

"And Thatch?" Izo demanded "Is your commander alive?"

"Yeah" They chuckled "He's as alive as poltergeist can get. Messed 'em up real bad he did, throwing them around and into each other, into the paths of their weapons. But they barricaded the door, we need another way in"

"And an attack from behind" Izo grinned "Attack from within, I think we can help with that"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Ace gets tortured, Luffy is still sick, and the epic battle music i hope you imagine while reading this chapter.   
> I don't have much to say because I just survived the weekend from Hell, but Strays updated TWICE while I was absent so I finally pulled my carcass around enough to get this out. Probably riddled with mistakes but whatever, enjoy!


	15. Sick Of Losing Soulmates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This update is both a little early and a little late so enjoy? also just so no one is confused the chapter is called Sick Of Losing Soulmates by Dodie but the chapter quotes at the beginning and end are from Ride by Lana Del Rey which I highly recommend listening to with this chapter (I listened to it on repeat while writing this chapter) warnings at the bottom enjoy

_I hear the birds on the summer breeze_

_I'm alone at midnight_

"I was perfectly fine you know, I didn't need your help"

"Oh yes that's why your men came to me, bleeding and begging for assistance"

"They weren't begging! They were politely requesting backup"

Their respective units rolled their eyes, the supernatural of their groups already used to the antics of their leaders, with the whitebeards soon coming to their own conclusions that this was completely normal behaviour for the poltergeist and the Meliai to be participating in, despite their very serious task of infiltrating and searching an enemy base.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Izo snapped "I have a group to command and a search to lead"

His unit all snickered, having been ignored for the past fifteen minutes of running to their destination in lieu of Izo's strange flirting/arguing.

"Yes, but don't I owe it to my handsome saviour to aid him in quest, wherever he may go and whatever he may do?" Thatch was floating above and next to him, surprisingly managing to keep pace despite everyone else actually running. The advantage of having died and come back he supposed.

"You could get out of my way" He grumbled, and Thatch grinned knowing that was his way of conceding to have Thatch follow him for his portion of the search, then having Thatch follow him for his own portion.

Thatch cooed "Thank you my lovely~"

"That wasn't an invitation!" Izo snapped, pulling out his radio "Our resident dumbass poltergeist has decided to follow along with me, so we won't be reaching his section until we finish up with mine, if anyone needs him"

"Pfft" Thatch snickered "As if they aren't going to be busy enough with their own searches"

The two ran side by side down the hall, inspecting doors and delegating their men to investigate rooms, and kick down doors in some cases. They'd been given a less likely sector for Ace to be in, the research area. There was the chance he'd be there, it was why Izo had to search it, but it was more likely he'd be in the cells where Sabo had been assigned to search.

Thatch grinned, Izo would have to admit it was a good idea to search together since they were getting through so fast, maybe they could help Marco with the battle outside if they wrapped this up fast enough.

Izo's unit was scattered down the halls, in rooms and watching the hall, digging through filing cabinets and computers for keys and information. Izo and Thatch came to the far end of the hall together, standing side by side outside the last door to check.

"Last room" Izo whispered "The tank room"

"Sounds simple" Thatch responded.

Izo shook his head "This is where they did their experiments with Luffy, even if Ace isn't there something important will be"

Thatch's good mood from their easy search so far dropped like a lead weight. Everyone had heard some form of rumor of what the eleven year old boy had gone through, all of it brutal, and strongly along the lines of things eleven year olds Should Not Experience.

And they were going in there, into the room where a group of adults knowingly tortured a child.

"Happy feelings gone" he mumbled, to which Izo looked ready to punch him.

"It should be fine, empty and creepy and abandoned just like all the others" Izo reassured, although which of them he was reassuring wasn't clear "We'll go in, throw some cabinets around, get out. No problems"

"Yeah" Thatch agreed "No problems"

Gently Izo eased the door open, peeking his head in. Thatch anxiously waited behind him, waiting for the signal of something wrong, or something right. When he said nothing after several minutes Thatch finally lost patience "Well?"

"Shh!" Izo silenced him, raising a hand in his direction, eyes still peering into the room while Thatch slowly started losing his mind imagining all sorts of horror scenarios inside.

After many more minutes of agonizing waiting Izo finally popped his head out of the doorway "It's clear"

Thatch nearly shouted "It's clear?! Why did you take so long to tell me it's clear?"

"Because" Izo shushed him "It's a large room, and the tank in the middle is full of water. I don't think they've cleaned it since they lost Luffy though. It's full of muck"

"Okay" Thatch moved ahead "Well let's search the room itself for anything useful then move on to my assignment"

"You should have just gone straight there" Izo criticized "Instead of following me around like a lost puppy"

"A dead lost puppy" Thatch grinned "Murdered by a demon and looking for" he dropped his voice an octave " _revenge"_

This time Izo actually did hit him "Get a move on and check out those machines in the middle of the room, I'll check out the ones by the tank. You've got your radio?"

"Of course!" he pulled out his own walkie talkie from his belt "What kind of a commander would I be without it?"

Izo merely rolled his eyes at that "Let's just get on with it"

"aye aye captain!" Thatch agreed enthusiastically, moving to the aforementioned computers.

\----

Izo warily approached the tank, keeping a close eye on the murky water inside. Dirt and muck inside prevented him from seeing anything that may have been lurking within. He watched it closely for a few more moments before relenting his gaze and going around the tank to the metal steps going up the sides.

His interest was captured in the computers sitting abandoned at the top, along with the other various machines making an array of noises betraying the fact they _were_ on, and working. Hundreds of cords and wires of different colours sprouted from the computer blocks and into the tank, down into the dark murky depths.

He shivered, a chill going down his spine at the sight as he walked past the open tank to reach the computers. Each one had a blank screen, but a keyboard attached. Sure enough when he hit a key at random one of the screens flashed on, although the pages of data onscreen were indecipherable for him.

He groaned, hitting the other keyboards and finding the same, bar graphs and equations he had no hope of understanding.

"Thatch?" he called out "You find anything useful?"

"Nooo not yet" Thatch responded "Lots of computers, lots of data, don't understand a lick of it"

"Yeah me neither" Izo moved closer to the higher screens, looking at the moving graphs "I think they're measuring something, mine are definitely processing data right now"

"Wait really? Cuz mine are all frozen on old stuff, I think. Definitely not doing anything right now"

Izo made a hum in response, watching as numbers and charts continuously floated across the screens and disappeared. It seemed like they were measuring something, if the various graphs were any indicator. Whatever they were measuring was slowly declining, and would probably hit nothing soon.

What were they measuring? The graphs were no help, Izo was educated but this was beyond even his level of knowledge. Maybe the question was: What would the Kaigun need to measure? It couldn't be too important if they'd left it all alone like this but it was still important enough to measure and collect data on. Maybe it had something to do with the water?

Izo's eyes trailed the wires leading into the water. Maybe the questions wasn't at all what he'd thought, maybe the real question was How they were measuring this at all.

Izo jumped to his feet ready to sprint to the tank "Thatch I think-!" Before the poltergeist gave a pained cry and went flying across the room.

It was like every nerve in his body was shot, like suddenly every organ in his body dropped into nothing, leaving him an empty shell of shock.

A darkness leaked into the room, followed by a nauseating chest rattling laugh. Thatch remained sprawled on the floor on the other side of the room and it was such a _wrong_ sight, the ghost was always floating up and around everyone, and he almost never touched the ground if he could help it.

A figure materialized out of the darkness, a pot belly and a horrible grin missing teeth greeting them with the most evil gleam Izo had ever seen in his eyes. Izo froze where he stood, halfway between the computers and the open tank, torn between running to the man who'd always been by his side and the prison that held his best friend who'd suffered so much.

The demon cackled again, his laughter dripping in evil intent "Well Thatch my boy I truly thought I'd never see you again, but look at you! All leftover ambitions and crushed dreams hanging around for one last shot at revenge"

Thatch was coughing, propping himself up on knee and Izo didn't understand what was happening, why was he coughing? He was a ghost it shouldn't have hurt when he hit him he should have been fine when solid forms hit him-

But he wasn't solid, and it seemed neither was the demon in the room who kept grinning like he'd won the lottery, and his grand prize was a hundred dead puppies.

"Honestly but that's what I get for only ripping your head off! Zehahaha, shouldn't have left so quick or I could have your soul too, but no matter" his darkness expanded, shooting to encompass the room and, he realized with a whimper, to surround Thatch "I'll take it now"

That decided it for Izo, who launched himself past the tank and down the steps with a war cry that only momentarily distracted the demon. If he could reach Thatch the two of them could fight him off, it'd be two on one which would give them the advantage.

But the darkness was shooting for Thatch, who was still crippled on the floor on one knee, and didn't see the demon coming for him so with a desperate cry Izo shouted with all his might because he was too far to be any help "Thatch!"

All it managed to achieve was Thatch looking up, and for a single moment in time everything froze. Their eyes met and a thousand scenes passed between them, of walking in the grove side by side, of Thatch watering him throughout hot summers and cold winters alike, of pranks pulled and hands held. A thousand unsaid words and a million things they could have had. A hundred things they _should_ have had and should have done. An infinite amount of memories they would never receive.

Izo wished, for one fleeting futile moment, that this moment could have lasted forever. The moment they realized what they could have had had they only realized it sooner, had they truly seen each other sooner. A fleeting lifetime together side by side, closer than they had ever been. They'd spent decades together but never together, and only in this brief reprise of frozen time did they realize what they were going to miss.

Thatch was smiling, and Izo hated him for it.

Because the world is not kind, because brief moments of time do not last forever, and because smiles are only temporary the world did keep moving and the brief moment of a thousand what-ifs came to a horrible screaming end.

Izo barely had the mind to realize that, as the darkness pierced Thatch's ethereal figure and spread across his body dissolving his limbs, that he was the one screaming and not the world.

"THATCH!"

The bastard was still smiling, albeit a pained tearful smile. The type people gave when they weren't happy but still wanted others to be happy despite how much pain they were in. Izo never  thought he would actually hate Thatch's smiles, but right now he wished just for once he would have let that facade crack and shown what he was truly feeling. Izo could handle tears, or screaming, but he couldn't handle Thatch still trying to comfort him in his final moments.

Izo kept running but somewhere inside he admitted to himself it was hopeless, but he didn't stop. There was so much missing from him he wouldn't survive even if Izo stopped the demon now, but it didn't stop Izo from desperately stretching his hand out to Thatch even if it was only for one last touch of the man he loved.

It seemed fitting, in some form of irony from the world, that the last thing remaining of Thatch on this world would be his smile.

Izo's reaching fingers brushed only empty space.

He'd fallen to his knees without even realizing it, his hand still outstretched to where Thatch had fallen and smiled, and died a second time by the hands of the same despicable creature who'd murdered him the first time.

A light emerged from the empty air, a tiny thing no bigger than one of Ace's fireflies. It floated uneasily, pulsing in nervousness and fear, two things Thatch had been so good at hiding but this was his very essence and it betrayed him. This was Thatch's very soul, and it was terrified. Without thinking, he leaned forward for the miniscule thing to rest his hand.

Just as he closed his fingers around the light, a kick knocked into his side throwing him across the room and into the glass wall of the tank. He bounced off and onto the floor, Thatch's terrified soul still clutched in his hand.

"Ah you naughty nymph, that one's for me" The demon drawled, his stance still comfortable and relaxed even though he just _killed_ -

Izo couldn't let him steal Thatch's last chance at life.

Just as the darkness lunged for Izo he rolled away to the side, allowing it to instead slam in to the glass panel of the tank, spreading minuscule cracks throughout it. He sprinted across the room and away from the darkness, Thatch's fluttering soul still clutched tightly in his palm.

He reached for the radio on his belt with his free hand, ready to warn the rest of the group of what _hadn't_ been distracted by Marco's distraction but found only empty air. With a heart shattering gasp he whirled around to see his radio lying on the ground where he'd been thrown, crushed by his impact with the glass.

The distraction cost him dearly as he screamed, a tendril of darkness piercing his leg and spreading a bone freezing cold up towards his thigh.

He sobbed, limping away from the inescapable death he knew was coming for him, Thatch's precious life essence still gripped in his hand.

"You're going to die here" The words reverberated through the room coming from everywhere and nowhere "You're going to die alone and nobody is going to know"

He limped until he fell flat on his face and continued crawling away, the darkness spreading up past hip and down his other leg, his injured one completely disappearing just like Thatch's form had when he'd been infected.

His long ebony hair fell into his face, something he'd been so proud of and Thatch had spent many hours helping him maintain. Now it was sticking to his face with pained sweat, frizzing about him. What would happen to him when he died? What would happen to Thatch?

He cried as a leg stepped on his back, spreading more darkness across his back "Your death won't matter in the end, _you_ will not matter in the end. You and all of your stupid little comrades will die useless deaths and nobody will remember you"

Izo clutched Thatch to his chest, reaching out with his other hand for something, anything to help him escape this nightmare, this absolute hell he'd been thrown into.

His fingers curled around a round piece of plastic and metal, and he didn't hesitate to swing it up into the demon's face, who stepped off him with a surprised pained cry but it didn't matter. Izo's legs were dissolved and his torso was rapidly following, and he'd die a useless death alone with in his hand-

Thatch's radio.

The demon was still distracted by the hit to the face, clutching his nose and releasing angered whines, facing away from him. He quickly brought the radio to his face "This is Izo from the tank room, A darkness demon is here guarding-" he looked up.

He hadn't been able to see it earlier, through all the ash and muck ( _that Ace produced_ ) in the water, but Ace had floated forward now and had his hands against the window. He looked terrible, unhealthily thin with every bone in his body protruding, his cheeks sunken in and limbs looking thin enough to snap in the wind. His hair floated around him and he looked in so much pain, his eyes locked onto Izo's dissolving form. Izo realized with a pained start Ace might have watched the entire fight, Including Thatch's death and his own inevitable following.

He swallowed the lump in his throat before continuing "A darkness demon is guarding Ace. We found Ace, I repeat we found Ace in the tank room. Ace is in the tank room being guarded by-"

A foot crunched down on Thatch's radio and the hand holding it, crushing both. He cried out, wanting to push the crushing appendage off but unwilling to release Thatch's soul. He felt the pull, the desperate pull of death trying to take him as the darkness spread down his arms. Soon he wouldn't have a hand to be crushed, nor an arm to hold Thatch.

"You dumb bitch" The demon atop him growled him "You want to lead them to their deaths? Fine, I'll eat them all, I'll take every soul and eat those too. I'll eat that stupid hunter and every scientist in this building until there isn't a single living being, and when I finish I'll eat that little boy too, but I'll eat him last and make him watch every single other being eaten-"

"No" Izo cut him off, shaking his head. The darkness was reaching his elbows and creeping up his neck, and he knew he didn't have long left "You won't touch any more of my family, you will never hurt any of them again"

He may die here, but his death wouldn't be useless.

He will matter.

As his arms dissolved, as the darkness spread to the fingertips still cradling Thatch's soul he finally let go and embraced death's pull on him, but he did not go easy. He went with the pride every member of the whitebeard felt. He chose how he would die, and it would not be by this demon's hand.

With an explosion, with every ounce of magik he could muster, he blew the room around him to absolute smithereens. The demon atop him screeched in blinding pain as Izo's life force burned clean through him, dispatching him instantaneously.

The last thing Izo saw was Thatch's soul, moving on safely from this world before the embrace of death took him as well.

\----

Luffy clutched desperately to Sabo's back, despite the fever rocking his body and the terrible everything emanating from this place, or maybe because of it. They needed to find Ace, and they needed to find him fast because Luffy was hurting so much which meant Ace was hurting even more and _so many_ were hurting just to find him.

They were taking so much from Ace... he could barely hold him on This Side and even just that was taking so much out of him he was completely feverish and sick. Ace was practically begging him to let him go and yet-

Luffy didn't know what would happen if he did. Ace had been brought over with the aid of Luffy, with Luffy's magic. He had no idea what would happen if he stopped.

The radio in his hands crackled to life, as it had several times throughout the attack and search. Their portion of the search was littered with Grandpa's guards, attacking them and hiding in cells making it so much harder to find Ace and he didn't know where Ace was because he was so weak-

" _This is Izo from the tank room, A darkness demon is here guarding-_ "

Luffy's heart stopped, then sped up to a ridiculous speed. He was here, which meant his evil laugh and his tendrils of darkness and his painful games were here, and he wanted nothing to do with the pool or Teach or anything like either of those painful things but-

" _A darkness demon is guarding Ace. We found Ace, I repeat we found Ace in the tank room. Ace is in the tank room being guarded by-_ "

The radio cut off with a sickening crunch.

It didn't matter what Luffy thought because Ace was there, and if that meant facing that evil man and that evil room again, he would do it a million times.

Especially when it meant not wasting Izo and Thatch's sacrifice.

"Luffy" Sabo called out, drawing his feverish and wandering attention "What was that?"

He scooted forward, moving his mouth to Sabo's ear "The pool room"

"What?" he panted in response

"The pool room, Ace is in the pool room"

For a few moments Sabo silent before giving a loud whoop of joy "We found him! Perfect! Luffy, can you direct me there?"

Luffy nodded, although Sabo couldn't see it, and instead reached his arm past Sabo's face, pointing down the hall "Left" he whispered.

"Okay" he replied "Everyone! We found him! We're in the home stretch now!"

_Don't leave me now_

_Don't say goodbye_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: major character death, and suicide (out of self sacrifice, not out of depression)   
> Did I mention I cried writing this chapter? wELL BUCKLE UP CUZ IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER. Also thank you to all my lovely faithful reviewers, I'm really sorry I haven't been replying as much I've been very tired and you can probably tell just getting these chapters out has been rough, I hope y'all are still enjoying and let me know what you think! Till next time~


	16. Whispers In The Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hold on its been HOW LONG since I updated? asdfghjkl sorry guys I promise I'm still alive and I'm back with a new chapter!!! its dark af and warnings are at the bottom. Enjoy.

Sabo ran down the hall, his unit marching faithfully behind him and Luffy clinging desperately to his back. The boy was shivering uncontrollably, a consistent unending heat burning into him from the poor boy's fever. He could feel the antenna of the radio digging into his back from where Luffy was clutching it with all his might.

He wouldn't admit it, but he was exhausted. He felt his owns muscles shaking from all the fighting, sprinting, and carrying Luffy but he wouldn't stop. Ace was _here_ and he was waiting for them to rescue him and Sabo would be damned if he let him down now.

"Luffy!" he called out "I need you to radio the other teams to make sure they got that, and to head to the tank room if they can make it. Let Dragon and Ivankov know we're on our way there now"

Dragon and Ivankov had gone off to fight the holy trio in central command, where they had better be or their invasion was in for a world of trouble. Dragon and Ivankov together would barely be able to handle those three infamous demons, nobody else here save Whitebeard himself would be able to stop them.

"I can't" Luffy replied weakly "It's cut out, no one is answering"

Sabo took a deep breath, both from the exhaustion of sprinting with the eleven year old on his back and to calm his rattled nerves "Okay, we'll have to handle whatever is there ourselves. It'll be fine, We'll be fine"

Luffy whined into his shirt, burying his face into the fabric. Luffy, better than anyone probably, knew how much danger they were in just being here, let alone the knowledge that somewhere around here Teach the demon of darkness _and_ the Holy Trio were running around causing mayhem.

"He's gone" Luffy whispered "He's gone"

"What?" Sabo exclaimed, then after a few moments came to the startling realization "Teach is? That's fantastic! That's incredible!"

With one less powerhouse roaming these halls they actually had a shot at this stupidly suicidal mission, with one down and 3 to go with some of the most powerful demon banishers he knew on the case it meant for them the path was clear, it was a free stretch to the end now.

Unthinking, he gave a whoop of joy, which was eagerly returned by several other members of the unit.

"Izo was really brave" Luffy continued, and Sabo felt a cold spread across his chest "And Thatch. He's gone because of them"

Sabo swallowed the tears threatening to come, desperately trying to clear his head after such a quick mood whiplash "Are they okay?"

"No"

Other member of the unit quieted down, those within hearing range clenching their jaws in anger, spreading the word to their allies around them. Several Whitebeard members released broken sobs at the news, but they kept running alongside all of them.

Sabo couldn't even begin to describe the pride that began to swell in his chest for this unit. They were working together as a team, through hardships, battle, and tragedy together as one for a common goal. They'd already lost some of their own in this endeavour, and they'd surely lose more before the day was done, but they kept pushing and kept going.

Under his breath he muttered a prayer for Izo and Thatch, a revolutionary passage wishing ease into the next life, safety for the passing soul, and respect for their accomplishments. He didn't know the mourning rituals of Whitebeards, or even the death process for non human entities, but he hoped they'd at least appreciate the sentiment. Across the group he heard the whispered mutterings of his repeated throughout.

They may have been Whitebeards and Revolutionaries, but they respected one another and their sacrifices. Just because one came from another group, or a different species entirely, did not mean there would be disrespect on either end for the other. Absently Sabo wondered what this would mean for the future of the Revolutionaries, and what changes they would be implementing in the future.

Luffy tapped him on the shoulder "We're almost there"

Sabo nodded in acknowledgement "Square up!" He shouted to the group, a bend in the hall approaching. "Luffy, do you know if anyone's there?"

The sick boy shook his head, still shivering and shaking from his fever. Sabo sighed, but didn't push. He couldn't expect Luffy to be much help in his current state, and he respected that, but it didn't change the fact that they would be going into this blind.

"No" Luffy whimpered "No one is there"

Sabo slowed his jog to a stop just before the corner, motioning for everyone else to do the same while he clarified what Luffy said "No demons?"

Luffy whispered "No one except Ace"

Sabo took a deep breath, ignoring the burnt smell of pennies permeating the hall, then took another before turning to face the unit all looking at him expectantly "We don't know what we're going into, we don't what traps are waiting or who might arrive once we're in there, but we can say for certain that" he paused for a moment, gathering his words into the best way to deliver the news "There isn't anyone in there right now, except the bastard we're here for"

A few of his people looked side to side, gauging their comrades reactions and unsure of how to react to the information. A few others seemed puzzled, pinching their noses at the overwhelming scent emanating from their destination, but it was of course the Whitebeards who realized the implications of those words first. One from the back piped up "What about their units?"

This declaration had everyone's head immediately shooting forward, concerned and shocked eyes meeting his, questioning what no other wanted to vocalize.

Sabo shook his head, looking to the floor unable to meet any of their questions  head on "Luffy says there isn't anyone in there except Ace"

Across the group the revolutionary prayer was muttered again, the Whitebeards joining in with their own variation. Each unit was a mix of both groups working together, they had all lost someone if they assumed the worst.

He perked up and jutted his chin forward, ready to play the part of leader once more. They needed him to give them direction, it was why he was chosen and so mourning would just have to wait "I want everyone sticking together as a team. No going off on our your own, go in pairs to check rooms but be fast and make sure you tell someone in the group where you went. Keep your eyes peeled, and your ears open. It goes without saying, but no unnecessary chatter. We go in on three"

With that, he turned to face away from his group again, the resounding silence behind him letting him know his orders had been heard. In his head he counted down from three, his fingers in the air doing the same. At zero, they marched forward.

.

.

.

Before them was a massacre.

He didn't make it more than a few stops before he came to shocked and shuddering halt, his eyes widening in fear and disgust. The few behind him who'd had also made it around the corner had also stopped, and he could hear a retching sound.

He gestured one of his shell shocked recruits forward "Spread the word down the line, inform them of this. Don't let them go in unknowing"

She gave a jerking nod, already turning to pass the message down. He rested his hands on his knees, desperately trying to control his breathing, in through his nose and out through his mouth, in through in nose, and out through his mouth.

There were bodies _everywhere,_ in pieces, in piles, and strewn about. The floor was slick with a pool of blood leaking from the corpses of Thatch's and Izo's units. Some of them were frozen, to the floors or to the walls, others had been impaled and left to bleed out. Some of them suffered only pieces of them frozen, some of them had lost limbs, some had been _completely burned alive-_

His stomach heaved, and he couldn't stop the bile from his escaping his body, resulting in him heaving over the ground several times, blinking away tears.

So that was what the smell was.

"Sabo?"

He cursed, remembering the young boy still on his back "I'm okay Luffy, are you?"

"They're dead" his voice was so quiet, shocked at his own realization.

Sabo couldn't get his breathing under control, stuck at a thick panting from his exhaustion and shock "Yes, yes they are Luffy can you give me the radio?"

Wordlessly he hadn't it over and Sabo clicked it on "This is Sabo, I've reached Izo's search area and..." he trailed off, unwilling tears leaking down his cheeks as he took in the bodies scattered everywhere, they were _running_ they were trying to _escape_ "It was a massacre" he finished "I believe Izo and Thatch's units have both been eliminated"

He flinched at his own callous language, but when there was no response but radio static he cursed and handed it back to Luffy "They must be blocking the radio frequencies. We're in this alone"

"Square up!" he shouted back to his shocked and mourning warriors "We're going in!"

It wasn't easy by any means. They had to take their steps slow so as to prevent slipping in the fresh blood still wet on the floors, and to avoid stepping on the corpses (and pieces of) littered about. With this disaster fresh in his mind and no contact from anyone outside, he amended his orders and had everyone search the rooms in groups of _five_ , with the entire unit pausing until it was clear. It made for a slow, but safe, trek through the hall.

_Dragon and Ivankov had gone off to fight the holy trio in central command, where they had better be or their invasion was in for a world of trouble._

They were in for a world of trouble.

He wasn't so blind as not to recognize the ice freezing people in their spots where they'd been running, or the burns caused by the most infamous magma demon in existence. The puncture wounds could only have been Kizaru's light which meant-

It meant there was a distinct possibility, one he was unwilling to acknowledge lest he lose his nerve and abandon Ace, that he was leading his group into a massacre.

 _Dragon and Ivankov together would barely be able to handle those three infamous demons, nobody else here save Whitebeard himself would be able to stop them_.

It was very likely that they were already doomed anyways.

\----

There was a collective sigh of relief that no one wanted to mention once they left the massacre hallway to enter the tank room.

Sabo's nerves were completely shot, eyes constantly flitting about at every noise and carefully watching every group that split from the unit to investigate, refusing to move until they returned unharmed.

They didn't find anyone alive. Every body they turned over, every pulse they checked, every corpse that wasn't horrifically mutilated was still dead. He saw more than a few familiar faces in those piles, boys he'd had coffee with, girls he'd sparred against, comrades who'd trained him. There wasn't a single face there not known by someone in his unit, be they Whitebeard or Revolutionary.

It was horrible, and it made Sabo's gut twist every time he thought of it, but seeing the bodies burnt to a crisp reminded of what he could have become weeks ago fighting Ace in that alleyway, of how afraid he had been to die alone.

 _Did they feel the same?_ Sabo wondered morbidly _Could all they think of in their final moments was all they didn't do, of everyone they were leaving behind?_

The scar on his face throbbed every time he thought of it, and so he did best to just not.

In comparison, the tank room was pleasantly empty, if very scorched.

"Izo" one of his Whitebeard comrades cried "He sacrificed himself for this, he did this"

Sabo whistled, eyeing the utterly destroyed room "He did one hell of a job, and took out one of our most powerful enemies in the process. His death was not wasted"

Around the room they all muttered their prayer of respects again for the Meliai.

"Sir! There he is!" An arm was pointing up at the tank dominating the room, filled with murky shifting water and-

.

Ace

.

It felt ridiculous, the way his heart jumped at the sight of his lover floating in the water, hundreds of cords and wires sticking out of his body from all over, his arms, his chest, even his neck and face. He'd lost considerable weight, which Sabo hadn't even known was possible, and looked horribly out of it with eyes unfocused and floating around the room.

"Get him out!" Luffy's tiny distressed voice from his back shrieked "Get him out! Now!"

"He's right! Get something heavy and break that fucking glass if you have to" He ordered to his unit members. Ace had already spent hours, days, completely submerged in water and he knew how badly just a light soaking affected him, and he looked in such terrible condition already-

He was face down on the floor. His palms, his arms, his legs, were stinging. His ears were ringing and there was- screaming, and crackling from fire, but mostly screaming and what was happening his face hurt. Slowly he pushed himself off the floor, he'd been lying face first in a pile of broken glass to add to his injuries, and Luffy wasn't on his back, and he could barely remember what happened.

There'd been an explosion, from the door they'd come through, the massacre hallway. It'd knocked him down (and out, apparently) and now Luffy wasn't on his back and there was so much screaming.

He looked up and remembered-

_It meant there was a distinct possibility that he was leading his group into a massacre._

It was a massacre.

From the doorway stood Akainu, probably the most feared of the holy trio, billowing out magma and heat into the room. His counterpart, Aokiji, was chasing down those in the room and freezing those he reached. Kizaru, the bastard he'd fought in the forest with Ace, was standing in one spot with his malicious grin, shooting at everyone from one spot in the centre of the room.

Sabo couldn't help the despair he felt in his chest, their one exit was blocked and they were being hunted like fish in a barrel, body after body falling to ground in desperate pained screams.

It was horrible, it was a disaster. All he wanted was to save Ace, but what he was supposed to do when something this terrible was happening? how could he justify saving Ace when it meant so many more were dying in the process?

Where was Luffy?

He whipped his head around, back and forth, suddenly very aware of the absence of his weight on his back. He cried out "Luffy!"

There was no response, no cry of his name in return, only the pained screams of his comrades trying to escape imminent death. The thick stench of burnt flesh had permeated the room from several brave souls who'd charged Akainu to try and clear their escape, at such a costly price with no fruitful reward.

It felt like time had slowed down, like everything was in slow motion underwater and he couldn't hear anything clearly. There had been many times on this adventure, more than he'd enjoyed or would like to admit, that he had very clearly thought he was going to die. Where the situation had seemed absolutely hopeless with no escape, and he'd resigned himself to being in his final torturous moments , and in these moments he'd try and gather his final thoughts, his prayers and wishes for those he was leaving behind but this time all he could think of was:

_I'm not ready to die yet_

And while he had suffered these moments of impending death many times throughout their journey, there had always been one common factor saving him from doom: Luffy.

There was a whimper and he looked directly in front him, where a desk bolted to the ground still stood strong despite the carnage around it, and beneath it cowered a shivering young boy.

"Luffy" he whined, desperately wanting to move to the terrified boy, but his adrenaline wasn't so great that he could ignore the plethora of injuries he'd received in the initial explosion. His entire body was flaring in pain.

"Sabo" Luffy whimpered in response. The boy was clearly terrified, tears were streaking down his face and still pouring from his eyes. His cheeks were still red and flushed from the fever he'd been suffering from all day. He wasn't looking behind him, he deliberately wasn't looking behind because standing behind the desk was-

"Well what is a little thing like this doing hiding back here?"

Luffy shrieked as demon of light grabbed his ankle pulling him back from behind the desk and into the air.

"Luffy!" Sabo shot to his knees, ready to ignore every flare of pain and agony pouring through his body to save the child who was reaching for him. Luffy was screaming his name in terror and pleading for help, fingers outstretched in desperation. Sabo needed to make it in time because failure wasn't an option, but the demon was staring at him with that sick grin and Sabo realized he would accept a thousand meaningless deaths alone if it meant he wouldn't have to watch Luffy die in front of him.

A high heeled kick came flying through the room, followed by a shouting furious drag queen and Sabo had never been so grateful to see Ivankov screaming "Get your hands off my son you bitch!"

Kizaru dropped Luffy, who was promptly caught by an awaiting Inazuma who cuddled the boy into his puffy white jacket. Ivankov continued screaming obscenities at the demon, throwing beads and kicks and, to Sabo's joy and shock, they actually had the demon on the run.

"Inazuma" Sabo pleaded as Ivankov's cultist partner approached him "it was a trap I did everything I could please you have to believe me-"

"You did everything" Inazuma agreed "Luffy called for us, there was nothing else you could have done." He kneeled next to Sabo "Can you walk"

He grimaced, every injury in his body pulsing horribly "I'll have to"

Inazuma nodded, still holding Luffy was quietly sobbing in fear. Dragon was fighting Akainu, also pushing the holy demon back who was yelling in anger and _literally_ spitting lava. Koala was swinging for Aokiji along with Bon Clay, and between the two of them they were successfully holding him at bay.

"Luffy called for you?" Sabo whispered in awe, watching as his own defeated men rallied behind the reinforcements, even the injured getting up filled with second wind. This was what it meant to work together, this was what it meant to work as a team for one singular goal.

"Yes" Inazuma confirmed "He has been known to do that when loved ones are in danger, or himself, although surprisingly that is less often. I believe it has contributed to Ivankov's instability over the years, sensing their son's pleas for help and unable to do anything about it"

Sabo grimaced, knowing he had been one of the people who had simply assumed they were insane from supernatural influences, among many who had thought the same. He hadn't bothered to look beyond the picture, had made assumptions and left it at that, but to think they'd been hearing their son's cries all these years and had fought day and night to get to his side, and here they were.

Kizaru went flying across the room, a heel shaped mark marring his cheek, and went crashing into the wall. The entire room erupted into cheers at the sight of Ivankov standing over the demon panting in exhaustion but unwilling to stop "That was my son, and these are my children, and you will **not** _touch them!_ " 

With another sharply placed kick he erupted into light and dissipated around the room.

"We can do this" Sabo whispered. Inazuma grinned "Yes we can"

Ivankov ran over to where Koala and Bon Clay had been cornered, the two of them successfully holding off the demon but struggling. It appeared Bon Clay had suffered an injury to his right leg as he favored his left while Koala desperately fended off attack after attack. With their cultist leader joining the fray without hesitation it wasn't even a proper battle.

Sabo heaved himself to his feet, ignoring the sharp look Inazuma gave him.

"They're all injured, and fighting" Sabo explained with a shrug "I can't leave it all to them"

"You'll be in the way" Inazuma argued.

Sabo grinned "Not if I got up there" he pointed to the top of the tank that held Ace.

Inazuma smiled "Right you are"

\----

It wasn't nearly as easy as he wished it would have been. He had to get through the battle wrecked laboratory to the tank that held Ace, which was all the way on the other side of the carnage. He was constantly dodging lava spits from Akainu's battle with Dragon, which Ivankov had left to help with after scaring off Aokiji, and the reinforcements which had been sent by the Kaigun (which of course begged the question of how the hell they even had reinforcements to send what with Marco _and_ Whitebeard's battle outside, and was also a little sickening that they'd willingly send their own men into a massacre of their own creation) coupled with the still aching injuries of Sabo meant he was having a rather hard time just surviving.

Progress was slow, but he lived. He got to watch Ivankov go completely off on Akainu, and Dragon's smirk at seeing his partner kick absolute ass. He saw Koala coaching young Bon Clay through the battle ( _probably remembering their own days in these types of battles, and their own mentors now long dead_ his mind whispered to him) He witnessed the tide of battle turn, and turn again, each side reinforcing and reinforcing again with a seemingly endless supply of fighters. Slowly the battle outside must have dwindled as he eventually saw Haruta and their unit join the fray, and many more guards than they reasonably should have had in reserve for a battle this large enter the room.

More than once he'd been forced to backtrack, finding his path blocked by enemy guards, or more often Magma mounds flying off in random directions. He'd saved Whitebeards, Revolutionaries, and Kaigun alike from those. No one deserved to die such a horrifying slow death (and he had very personal experience with how terrible burns from a demon could be) and if those rescued Kaigun just so happened to meet sleep via a corner of a desk to the head, then so be it. He was kind, he wasn't a saint, and he was on a team for this battle.

He huffed, pausing to take a breather and taking a page from Luffy's book by ducking under a desk. It was just so fucking _exhausting_ sprinting through the battle ground, and god his injuries burned. Peeking his head out he saw he was barely even halfway to the tank.

He groaned, holding his hands to his head and internally begging for all of this to be over. He wanted to the skies to open and god himself to scoop Ace from the tank and banish the demons from this unholy area. The Kaigun guards, upon seeing their lord and savior, would immediately surrender and repent for their sins, begging for forgiveness. He would _definitely_ kiss Ace, and they'd walk out of this hand in hand. Ivankov would carry Luffy, who wouldn't be sick anymore just smiling and brightly because he'd be so happy to everyone back, and Koala would bark at him for being reckless.

But Koala was still defending a newbie, and Akainu was still spitting lava, and Ace was still in that cursed tank slowly killing him, and Ivankov was-

Where was Ivankov?

Very suddenly the top of his desk was ripped off and sent flying, and Sabo had barely a heartbeat to jump out of the way before magma came pouring where he'd been sitting.

"Don't think I didn't see you, boy" Akainu growled "You are as stealthy as a horse"

He couldn't even think of a defense, desperately scrambling back on his ass. He paid no mind as he scraped his hands through glass and fire, doing what he'd been doing this entire time and just trying to fucking survive.

"He deserves to die" Akainu continued advancing on him "The fire demons are the weakest of the most powerful. They hold such strength, and yet they barely use it. Their existence needs to be eradicated"

Sabo clutched his beads, whispering prayers under his breath for everyone in this battle, but mostly for Dragon and Ivankov to ignore whatever was distracting them and get the fuck over here.

"And to tell you the truth" Akainu muttered "I thought I had, and yet here this weakling comes crawling out. It's a dishonor upon my reputation, for one to have escaped this long. I hand delivered every fire demon I came across to the Kaigun and yet TEACH" he roared the banished darkness demon's name "Managed to one up me? Deliver the final fire demon to the Kaigun, and ruin my reputation? All because _he_ " he pointed to Ace's tank "Was a coward who hid for thirty years?"

_"Am I really, by the way like, the last one? yeah my parents aren't around anymore but like..."_

Sabo wasn't sure if even remembered how to breath in that moment. He desperately gasped in air and yet it didn't seem to help. His heart was pounding, his blood was racing, and sweat was pouring from his entire being.

"You" he managed to cough out "You killed the fire demons?"

For the first time since Sabo had first laid eyes on the cursed demon, Akainu cracked a sadistic malicious grin "I did not kill them. I aided the Kaigun in how to summon and capture them. I tracked and captured every single one who escaped. No longer are the rare Magma demons considered the inferior of the heat demons. With their eradication I am now of the superior race." He glanced back at Ace "And once he's gone, I will forever be immortalized by these foolish people, with enough energy to last me a millennia"

"Well isn't it disappointing" A voice from behind Sabo casually mentioned "That you didn't take us into account"

Koala _launched_ over his head, her own enchanted staff, broken in half, in hand to stab the broken end into and through the magma demon's chest.

There was a sort of demonic screaming, or maybe a ringing was more accurate. Akainu let out a screech, thrashing to get the staff (and crazy girl who hadn't let go) off his chest. Bon Clay came running around him, dozens of multi coloured beads in hand, and banishing curses slipping off his tongue with the ease he's only seen practiced cultists manage. Sabo grinned, a sharp laugh escaping without his permission as he threw himself up off the ground with his own beads in hand.

Koala finally got thrown off, but Sabo was already there was a broken piece of chair wrapped in his precious Spruce beads, swinging and connecting hits, but most importantly keeping him away from the teenager still halfway through his banishing spell.

Koala, unfazed by being literally thrown into a wall, jumped back up and into the battle with a war cry that would make demons proud. She brought out her own Spruce beads, whipping Akainu with them, alternating sides with Sabo.

For the briefest of moments of reprieve their eyes met and they grinned in unison. This was their forte, crazy stupid battles with no hope in sight and only truly complete with a cultist by their side and absolute improvisation as their only reliable weapon. They matched each other in every regard, countering where the other lacked, defending when one slipped, and upping the other's strengths. They dodged and swung, protecting Bon with the strength only partners who'd spent over a decade training and almost as long fighting together could manage.

"You will not defeat me!" Akainu shouted, Koala's broken staff still sticking out of his chest "I am Akainu of the holy trio, I am the most powerful demon of fire there is to be had, I am personally responsible for the eradication of what was regarded as the strongest demons in existence!"

"Yeah well I'm Koala" she piped up next to him "and I've been fighting demons for nearly ten years, I've banished thousands of your kind no matter how many hits you get and how many times you come back. I'll always be waiting with a cultist and staff in hand"

"And I'm Sabo" he continued "I'm her partner, I've been chasing after her for just as long. I've also spent the past couple weeks fighting the entire supernatural sector of the American government, and I kicked off _that_ adventure by fighting the most powerful fire demon in existence, who by the way I am so in love with. So if you think I'm going to stand here and let you kill my boyfriend, you are so fucking wrong."

As one they managed one last cheesy punch together on the demon before he began screaming in absolute anguish, magma leaking out of holes appearing in his skin all over his body.

"And I'm Bon Clay!" The fifteen year old shouted behind them "And I've been doing this since I was a little kid, and yeah I ran with some bad people and did some bad things, but I've learned better and I'm making up for my mistakes! And I'm training under the best cultist to have ever lived!" He huffed "You should be honoured to have been banished by me!"

The demon had no response to that, only more screams of anguish and agony as his skin dissolved and eventually his figure completely dissolved into lava, which pooled into a lump on the ground, already cooling into rock.

"Dibs on not cleaning that up" Sabo murmured.

\-----

The battle was going just fine, the tide was firmly going their way, and 2 out of the 3 really powerful demons had been sent back. Inazuma had left him off to the side to go save his mum and dad, who'd been separated from their battle with Akainu by a squadron of grandpa's guards, but it was okay because Koala and Sabo worked together with Bon-chan to take him out, and they all worked really well together. All around the room fights were slowing to a stop, especially as more and more of Sabo and Ace's people poured in to help, and less of the guards came in.

But there was one problem everyone was ignoring.

Luffy didn't blame them, especially not Koala and Bon-chan because they'd stopped to save Sabo, but everyone was ignoring Aokiji who _was_ being really quiet and sneaky to make sure no one paid attention to him, but unluckily for him Luffy was really good at noticing people when they didn't want to be noticed.

Slowly, just like Aokiji, he sneaked across the room so no one noticed him moving from the spot Inazuma left him in, and hopefully he didn't mind but Luffy didn't think he would because it was _really_ important that he did this. Luffy was even better than Aokiji at sneaking because he was so small, and the other was really tall, probably even taller than grandpa. It wasn't really a fair competition because Luffy could sense the other, and he didn't think Aokiji could sense him like his mom and Inazuma could, but they weren't paying attention to him because he wasn't in danger right now, Luffy knew that.

And if he was, they would come to help just like last time.

And so when Aokiji finally reached Ace's tank, Luffy was right next to him.

The taller demon eyed him carefully before speaking "This isn't anything personal, boy, but I have to do this"

"Luffy" He introduced himself "And you don't _have_ to mister Aokiji. You could just leave"

He'd placed his hand on the glass of the observation tank, the one Luffy always looked through before and after he visited the Other Side, and a little bit of frost was spreading out from his hand "It's just not that simple. I have a contract I need to fulfill"

"Does your contract say that you need to kill my friend?" he stared the man down, craning his head up to look him right in the eye "It probably doesn't"

He lazily hummed "I need to keep him in the tank, My contract does say that I cannot allow him to leave"

Luffy shifted from foot to foot "What if you didn't allow him to leave, you just looked the other way. You wouldn't know, you didn't allow it"

He narrowed his eyes, more frost spreading across the glass "I don't go back on my word, or lie. I made a contract that I intend to fulfill"

"Then what if we left him in there until you left?" he suggested "Because, Mister Aokiji, you've probably noticed you're the only one of your friends left and so far only I know but the others will notice soon too, and then they'll send you back. And I'd really appreciate it if you didn't kill my friend before that, and it wouldn't even break your contract"

The frost had spread all up the glass now, covering the entire thing in swirls and crystals which made him really cold, even though he was really hot and shaking and he didn't like the mix of feeling but this was _really_ important. He could hold out for a little longer.

"You make a compelling argument" Aokiji offered "My comrades suffered rather violent send offs, I would appreciate something less painful. I'm a peaceful man"

Luffy nodded "You are" He held his hand up for the taller man to take "If you leave Ace alone right now I'll send you back without it hurting"

The ice demon cocked an eye brow "And you can promise that? That it won't hurt?"

He grinned, nodding excitedly "Not a tiny bit, I pinky promise"

For a few moments neither of them moved before the other sighed in resignation, dropping his hand from the glass and into Luffy's awaiting one. He jumped for a moment, because it was really cold and he was _really_ hot but he couldn't think about that right now because this was important.

"In exchange for my willful ignorance of the fire demon's eventual release from this tank" Aokiji lazily drawled out, but his eyes were sharp and focused "You will in return allow me a peaceful and painless passage into the Land of Magic"

Luffy nodded , shaking the held hand that dwarfed his own "I agree"

Slowly Aokiji's form dissolved, not into his element like those before him, but into the air with a cool breeze. With a sleepy sigh the ice demon disappeared from This Side, and Luffy fell to his knees.

"Easy" his mom caught him, scooping him into their arms "You did so well, my perfect boy" they comforted, holding him close.

He was even sicker than he'd been before, his shaking even more uncontrollable and the head that much more unbearable "My head hurts" he whined, and he didn't mean to because his mom _knew_ just like he _knew_ things but it had been so long since someone just _knew_ things that he'd gotten used to telling people everything.

" _I know_ " they whispered in Russian, their own private language of comfort that made Luffy remember days of sitting in their lap and just whispering back and forth, whispering with the walls " _It won't hurt soon_ "

His mother looked up at the tank where dozens of hunters, cultists, and supernatural alike stood with a varied plethora of weapons and strong blunt objects, including Sabo with his broken chair, Koala with a newly acquired piece of broken metal, and Bon clay uneasily holding what looked like a broken lamp. All of them gathered to break the frozen glass, and free the entrapped demon they'd all come out to save.

"It'll be over very soon" they comforted "very soon indeed"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: hOO BOY lots of really graphic deaths and battle, with gore and just general unpleasantness that's reared its head in this fic every now and again, but to an extreme. You've seen it all before in previous chapters, but maybe not to this extent.   
>  SO what do y'all think? thank you so much for everyone's continued support even though I'm Bad At Replying to reviews


	17. Who Lives Who Dies Who Tells Your Story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY THIS CHAPTER IS SO LATE ITS DEDICATED TO LEE CUZ HER BIRTHDAY IS TOMORROW AND I'M UPLOADING THIS LITERALLY SECONDS BEFORE I LEAVE FOR VACATION HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEE

Being in the tank was never a pleasant experience.

The weightlessness was unnerving, as was the silence. Barely any sound could penetrate the tank due to the water, and it left him constantly disoriented. His body was too confused at the lack of energy, and his mind couldn't keep up.

He blinked, and blinked again, slowly

Alone, he floated near the middle of the tank, absorbing the silence pierced only by the occasional screech of an alarm.

He looked up at the noise, swimming to the observation panel. He placed either hand on the side of the glass, doing his best to peer through the water to the other side. Something was wrong, which meant something might finally be going right for him.

Everything was bright, and flickering. There were alarms blaring, several different types. Ringing, screeching, beeping, screaming. People were running, around and into the lab in not exactly a panic, but certainly with a degree of purpose and fear. More and more were pouring in and falling, there was heat everywhere, and blood. So much blood covering the floor from bodies-

They were fighting.

The water was so cold he curled up in a ball, holding his knees to his chest to desperately fend away the penetrating shivers trying to break his frame, break his being, break his sanity. He didn't want to be here, he didn't want it to go this way. He just wanted it to end, for the pain and fighting to end. But...

But Luffy.

The poor boy was out there, he was supporting _him_ even though it was killing him. Luffy was doing everything in his power to keep Ace safe and on This Side because that was their deal, even though Ace had already broken his side of the contract. Even though Luffy had absolutely no reason to, he did. He kept Ace safe because that was the kind of kid he was.

All because, though neither of them wanted to admit it, they had no idea what would happen if Luffy did release his support on Ace. It would seem logical that he would go back to the Other Side, but if that were the case he wouldn't be alone now, would he?

He remembered ages of just being so _alone_. He remembered his father's grin, it was so wide it seemed to stretch across and encompass his entire face. Sometimes he would pick Ace up and rub his mustache against his face to tickle him, or throw him in the air just so Ace could feel what it was like to fly, landing back safely in his father's arms.

He remembered his mother's gentle warmth where his father was all sparks and fire, she was the gentle rays of the sun warming you on a summer's day. She would hold him close when he was upset, helping him ride out whatever was disturbing him. She was always there to catch him when he fell, to kiss his injuries until they were all better, and to sing him a soft song of delight.

He didn't remember the day his father disappeared, as nothing out of the ordinary had happened that day for his young mind to remember, but he did remember the weeks to follow as his father failed to return and his mother wasted away, supporting him with her own energy.

He certainly remembered the day his mother disappeared, how she held him close promising to return in just a few short hours with more energy to support both of them for a few more weeks. He remembered begging her to stay, clutching her skirts and refusing to let go as he soaked her dress with his tears. He remembered waiting days in the same spot just as she told him to, waiting for her return.

He would never forget the hunger that nearly broke him, the desperate need for energy that had him finally leaving his waiting spot, his tears all dried up at the realization he was now truly alone. He never found another fire demon, but he found dozens of others who wanted to prey on a young malnourished demon. Luckily for him, none of them knew the true power of one of his kind. It would take him years to realize, but his people had been slowly disappearing for a very long time. Fire demons were already a rarity of legend by that point in time.

And so when he felt a summons, just as his father had innocently felt like any other, just as his mother had known she couldn't refuse, he did his best to put on his bravest face when facing his summoners.

Just his luck it was only a curious warlock, and a friendly mountain giant who readily took him under his care.

_Is this what you felt mom, this hopeless feeling of knowing you would never return to my side?_

_Dad, did you realize it was the final end for you?_

_Did either of you last this long? Are you together now?_

Unable to cry in the tank, he helplessly clutched his face. Would he be seeing them soon?

There was a tapping on the glass that forced him to look up, looking face to face with a blurred figure on the other side. They had their hands on the glass, watching him eagerly despite the ice-

Jesus fuck no wonder it was so cold.

The figure backed out of his limited vision in the water into a solid mass of colour, that all suddenly surged forward at once.

Ace wasn't sure he knew what they were about to do, but he had an idea. A bad one, but he also didn't have the time, nor the energy, to convey what a terrible idea it was.

Sure enough the mass of people came crashing through the glass of the observation panel, spilling water out onto the laboratory floor along with Ace himself. Unfortunately, as Ace foresaw, the group of human and supernatural were all drenched and swept away with strangled yells.

The wave also had the added effect of dousing any fires near them, which was good for fire sensitive humans but not fire demons. For several seconds they all lay there, gasping, before a figure jumped up from the water, grabbing him.

"Ace!" Sabo shouted, bewildered and excited, and absolutely sopping wet. Despite not needing air, he still found himself coughing up water and desperately sucking the oxygen in as Sabo rubbed soothing circles into his back.

There were a chorus of cheers, and someone shouting for something to cut the wires pulling painfully in his skin. They were still attached to the computers atop the tank, which his escape had nicely wrecked thoroughly, but were still very painful. Several pairs of gentle hands removed the ones under skin, while others ripped off the monitors sticking to him without care.

Sabo cradled his head in his lap "It's okay, I've got you now, it's okay, you'll be alright" he whispered repeatedly, and absently Ace thought it wasn't entirely clear whether he was comforting Ace or himself. They both needed it. 

"Ace" A small voice cried out before a tiny body was laid next to him with a small head of black hair resting on his chest and clutching him desperately.

"Luffy" he replied weakly, his head swimming with dizziness but so relieved to have his boys next to him.

"Ace" Luffy cried again, his tiny frame shaking with sobs "Ace"

"Are you okay?" Sabo whispered desperately "You're so cold" he rubbed Ace's arms, trying to return some form of warmth to him. Ace almost chuckled at the action, it wouldn't do anything for this all encompassing hypothermia.

"I'm really" Ace breathed out "really cold"

A tear slipped down Sabo's cheek, and Ace desperately wanted to reach up and wipe it away. It pained him to see Sabo so sad and heartbroken, but it hurt even more to know that he did this, that he was the reason Sabo was sad.

"Hey" Ace whispered instead, too weak to even lift his arm to comfort the man he loved "It's okay. It doesn't hurt anymore"

Luffy released a pained cry from his chest, clutching him even tighter "You're lying" the tiny boy cried "you're lying you hurt so much and I can't help you" he sobbed more "I want to help"

Ace looked up, his eyes meeting those of his lover, trying to convey all he felt and more "It's okay" he repeated "I knew from the beginning I wouldn't be making it out of this one"

Sabo's face fell from pained to shock, coming to a realization he never wanted to face "Ace what do you mean" his voice was flat and calm despite his widened eyes and tear streaked cheeks "Ace!" he insisted, panic creeping in.

"Don't go" Luffy begged "Please don't go, you promised, you pinky promised"

"I know buddy" he coughed, his chest settling some with the acceptance that he just wasn't making it out of this one easy "But it's fine, I'll be with my parents, and Thatch and Izo yeah? I'm just moving on to the next level"

Sabo's grip tightened on him dangerously "Ace don't joke" there was a desperation, a fear and painful sadness inside his voice "We came all this way to get you, it's time to go. Me and Luffy found a nice little shack next to the ocean that we can fix up, and some of the rooms are soaked in moisture so they'll be perfect for stopping you from burning down the place, and we can fix it all up and plant a garden outside and it'll be perfect-" his voice cracked on the last word, tears finally rushing from his eyes "We need to go, more guards will be coming"

Ace managed a small smile, the last attempt of a dying man to comfort those around him "Sabo, I'd love to."

Sabo nodded "Then, then you need to get up, or... or we can carry you, but it's time to leave"

Ace made no attempt to move, and Luffy refused to let go. "Sabo..." he trailed off, turning over one of his arms for his lover to see. He heard Sabo's sharp intake at the sight.

It was dissolving, collapsing into blackness more granulated than his natural ash.

"I'm sorry" Luffy begged, the granulated black sand rubbing off of Ace's chest onto him "I'm not strong enough I can't-"

"Ssh" Ace quieted the crying boy "This isn't your fault, this would never be your fault"

Both of them were crying, and against his will Ace found himself following. He didn't want to do this in his final moments, he wanted to smile and hug his boys so that's how they could remember him, not crying and dissolving into nothing "You guys will be okay" Ace insisted "And I'll be waiting for you guys, and I'll wait forever if I have to. In fact I better wait forever because I don't want to see either of your ugly mugs to soon." Slowly, and with great effort, he moved one of his arms onto Luffy's back to rub comforting circles, ignoring the pieces of himself flaking off with the movement "You're both gonna do great things, and I mean come on I've been pretty useless this entire time, you'll do just fine without me. I mean you somehow got the Whitebeards and the Revolutionaries to put aside their differences for us, and that's been a rivalry ever since the Revolutionaries were created. If you can pull that out of your ass you can do anything okay?"

There was sniffling and sobbing about, and Ace didn't feel like mentioning that his feet were entirely gone "I'll always be there with you guys, watching and laughing at you puny humans okay?"

"Don't go" Sabo cried softly "Please don't go"

Ace connected their eyes again, Sabo's tearful and Ace's acceptation, to convey every feeling of love and happiness he had in that moment "I'll never be gone"

"Damn right you'll never be gone!" An angry female voice suddenly jumped into the conversation "You need to recharge on the Other Side. Luffy, send him back!"

"I can't!" Luffy screamed "I can't because he doesn't have enough energy and I used too much s-sending Aokiji back" he sobbed "And now I can't send Ace!"

Instead of giving up and despairing, Koala turned on Sabo "And what's your excuse? You have your magik beads that Ivankov gave you, don't you?"

Sabo blinked away tears, his breathing coming under control as hope began to arise against his will "But it would never work, Ace said-"

"Fuck what Ace said!" she snapped "It's our only shot, and if we'll never know if we don't _try_ "

For a few seconds nobody moved  until Ace released a pained cry against his will as his physical structure dissolved more and Luffy began sinking into him. All of their expressions turned to shock and horror, Luffy especially releasing a terrified scream. Ivankov rushed over to scoop their boy into their arms, and he immediately began thrashing "No! Let me see Ace! Please!"

" _Hush little one_ " the comforted " _Let Koala and Sabo do their best_ "

Sabo scrambled in his pockets, presumably for the off-red beads Ace had mocked him for on that bus ride all those eons ago.

"Koala if the blood was taken-" he tried to explain, his face consorted in pain.

She snapped her head up at him from where it had been watching Sabo "You don't know that and you're making assumptions about my family and our organization, so kindly shut the fuck up and let us send your ass to the Other Side instead of falling into the void like you're about to"

"Aha!" Sabo cried out, catching their attentions "Don't worry Ace" he tried to comfort, but Ace could see the fear in his eyes "We literally banish demons for a living, this will be a piece of cake."

The various cultists standing around watching the goodbyes began swarming him, some taking chalk out of bags to draw symbols around him, others digging around for various beads and herbs they carried on hand. Bon Clay, despite his injuries, began drawing a giant circle around them with steady hands and a concentrated frown. Inazuma had leaned down to begin drawing the intricate smaller runes inside.

"This is all a bit complex, isn't it?" Ace joked "I mean I'm pretty sure Luffy didn't do all this to banish Aoki-" he groaned in pain as more of his torso dissolved, his ribs jutting out and beginning to dissolve themselves.

Sabo's face creased in worry before smoothing back out into his reassuring smile "Well that's why Luffy's so powerful. Us normal folk need these sort of complicated rituals just to open the gate and send you back. All he needs to do is touch someone"

Ace did his very best to ignore the dozens of humans working to send him back "Wonder if he could send a normal human over"

Sabo bit out a sharp laugh "No offense but we really shouldn't find out, we'd have no way of bringing them back"

"I don't know..." Ace joked "We could always send over the douche Caesar, and Vegapunk. Ooh and Sengoku too"

"Maybe" Sabo smiled, leaning forward to place a tender kiss on Ace's lips "Maybe you'll have some playtoys after all is said and done"

"Sabo..." his smile faded for a moment, considering his next words carefully "If this doesn't work-"

"It will" Sabo cut him off "Remember what Koala said, you can't jump to conclusions-"

"But if something goes wrong" he insisted "If one of the runes is off, if we don't finish this in time, I just want you to know I love you"

Sabo's smile immediately slid off his face, his eyes watering "You bastard" he choked out "I love you too"

"Alright!" Inazuma shouted standing up, causing everyone to jump "It's time to do this , Sabo hold those beads tight we're going to be channelling this all through you" the cultist moved to the edge of the circle while Sabo nodded.

"Sabo" Ace weakly muttered "No matter what happens, thank you for loving me"

Everyone around the circle started chanting, cultists who had studied this incantation for eons and Whitebeards who knew this particular ritual, and Sabo nodded in acknowledgement of Ace's tear jerking statement "I'll look after Luffy" he promised "Do some easy revolutionary work on the weekend, fix up the shack, get Luffy enrolled in school." Sabo sucked in a desperate gasp of air, feeling the collective energies of everyone chanting being poured into him, and through him into Ace "He'll never be alone again, Ace I promise"

Ace's entire form relaxed, his face falling into a bittersweet smile, his eyes half lidded "Thank you" he whispered.

The chanting came to an end, and for a thousand eternities nothing happened. Ace breathed his last breath and stopped moving, his eyes staring into nothing, face falling to blankness. Luffy had stopped crying, and Sabo wanted to scream.

Then, just as quickly as it began, the single frozen second of time began to move again and Ace' body began to _glow._

His eyes widened as Ace's eyes lit up, then lit even more into bright circles and floated away, the rest of his body turning into the little balls of light and floating away.

"His fireflies" Luffy mentioned in awe, and everyone's eyes widened in disbelief following the tiny spectres as they floated around the room. Sabo ignored the tears streaking down his cheek, and the weightlessness his arms now experienced as Ace floated away into the air.

For a few precious moments the burning bloodied room was a lit with the gentle glow of Ace's light. Hunters supported their exhausted cultist counterparts, Whitebeards leaned against each other with solemn faces, and together there was a collective moment of silence for all the friends they'd lost that day, all of those that would be missed but never forgotten.

Slowly one by one the lights faded out back to the Other Side, and the destroyed laboratory faded back into darkness.

Sabo heaved a sigh, then stoop up from his spot in the centre of the circle. He slowly turned, meeting the exhausted eyes of everyone in the room. He was tired, he was in a lot of pain, and his heart ached most of all, but there would be time to mourn later. For now...

His eyes met Dragon's from across the room, and Dragon nodded.

"Come on everyone" he announced "Let's go home"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY MY LAPTOP BROKE EVERYONE
> 
> EPILOGUE CHAPTER IN AUGUST


	18. SIlhouettes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //stop telling people I'm dead  
> But in all seriousness if y'all haven't checked out Aslbrosyo on fanfiction or AO3 yet, do it because I can almost guarantee this chapter wouldn't have happened without her support

_It's hard letting go_

_I'm finally at peace, but it feels wrong_

 

It probably isn't the best idea, at least not for Sabo, but he's going to be spending the next couple of weeks alone.

_"We can wait" Ivankov insisted within the doorway of the shack "Put this off until next year when things are more settled"_

_Sabo rolled his eyes, and ignored the persistent ache in his chest "That's the point, things_ won't _settle until I've got a couple weeks to myself to fix this place up. I mean look" he poked the wall of the moisture soaked entranceway, which sagged in with the minimal pressure "I can't make Luffy stay here until it's liveable again, he'll get sick. Again" he chuckled without any real humour to his voice._

_Ivankov's gaze fell guiltily to the floor "He won't get sick like that again, we're pretty sure he was supporting Ace, giving his energy over to keep him here because the Kaigun were draining him-"_

_Ivankov cut themself off as Sabo's expression took a turn for the worse. He didn't need to hear the details of the torture Ace had been put through now that he was safe, he already knew the man who could barely handle a squirt bottle had been completely submerged for_ days _which probably could have killed him all on its own without the added effects of pure energy draining, he didn't need to know more._

_Ivankov didn't miss Sabo's rapid facial expression change (probably felt it in the air or something, but not even Sabo knew the extent of their abilities) "I mean it Sabo, we can stay nearby and help out with the fixing up. This won't be an easy project, especially with..." they trailed off "What happened"_

_Sabo collected his thoughts, schooled his expression back into something not so depressing (not exactly a smile, but close. He hadn't smiled since the battle, and he probably wouldn't for awhile) and took a deep breath "Ace is safe on the Other Side, and it might take awhile for him to be able to pass onto This Side again, but until that day comes I'll be waiting. In the meantime I'll fix up this run down shack, and you go figure out your family situation with Dragon"_

_"And Luffy" Ivankov reluctantly agreed "In the Bahamas"_

_"In the Bahamas" Sabo concurred "In the nice sunshine, on an all-expenses-paid-by-Dragon vacation, which you need badly, and I'll spend the next three weeks getting this thing liveable again"_

Ivankov had finally relented and left with their son and Dragon (which was a situation that they really did need to sort out) which was great because Luffy was being distracted from the loss of his first best friend by getting to know his mother all over again, and his father for the first time. However it had unfortunate side effect of leaving Sabo all alone in a house that was too cold to be enjoyable, and too wet to be comfortable.

And too empty.

His priority was getting the place water tight again, which meant replacing all the windows (all expenses of this project were being paid for by the Revolutionaries, with some generous donations on the side from the Whitebeards) and then relenting and hiring contractors to come out because Sabo had no idea how to do that, which meant finding a renovation company willing to come all the way out to the middle of nowhere.

Which resulted in meeting some very interesting people.

"Hoo boy I can't believe this place is still standing!" The large man was standing outside the shack, staring at the rotting wood and broken windows. Sabo grimaced from inside, the man hadn't even come in yet.

He got up from his spot on the couch where he'd been waiting for the contractor to arrive, and praying to any deity that was listening that this one was the one. He slipped on some shoes and joined the man outside with a wave "Hi, you must be from Franky House?"

The man turned away from the house to face him, and wow something must have happened because there was something off about his face and physique, but Sabo wasn't one to judge. The man let out a boisterous laugh, and offered his (massive) hand to shake "Yep, I'm Franky himself actually! How'd you hear about us?"

Sabo shook his hand firmly hoping his fragile bones weren't being crushed by Franky's incredible grip "Through Galley-La construction, they said this was a little too out of the way for them, but that you'd probably be willing to come out here"

Franky released Sabo's hand, which he rubbed thoughtfully "Of course Iceberg recommended us to you, he's my foster brother, and he owes me! My company used to be purely demolition, but we've recently expanded into renovation and construction, although" he pulled down his shades to eye the building carefully "This place looks like it could use a demolition first"

"Yeah she's an old girl" Sabo relented "But she's gonna be home to me and my eleven year old brother in two and a half weeks, so I need this place to be liveable by the time he gets back" He was really worried the demolition expert turned contractor would insist on tearing the place down and starting again from scratch, but it simply wasn't in the budget. However he wasn't sure what he would do if he refused, he'd reached to every contact he had and every ad in the yellow pages and this was literally scraping the bottom of the barrel. If he refused, Sabo was out of luck.

Franky looked contemplative for a few moments before breaking into a huge grin "Well it won't be easy, it won't even be up to code in two weeks time, but she'll certainly be liveable. I'm gonna spend the next couple days inspecting her to know what I'm really up against, but from a glance I can tell we're gonna want to start with the support beams then move to the windows and floors" He eyed Sabo suspiciously "You with me?"

Sabo turned a shocked face to the grinning blue haired man "You'll do it?"

"Of course!" he struck a heroic pose "She's gonna be a real challenge, but the Franky family never backs down from a challenge! Why, did you think I wouldn't do it?"

Sabo coughed out a desperate chuckle "Any contractor who's actually come out here has taken one look and run for the hills"

"Ha! Not the Franky family baby!"

In the following days he met an array of interesting characters, most of them oddly dressed by society's standards but Sabo had spent too many of his adolescent years with Ivankov and their cultists to find any of them truly strange. In all honestly he was just relieved someone was willing fix the junky place.

It was three weeks of craziness as Sabo decided to lend himself as an extra pair of hands for grunt labor, both to help speed up the process, and keep himself busy to avoid drowning in his own thoughts. He painted walls and carried wood, he nailed planks and even helped Franky rip up the floors to replace the electricity and plumbing. He ate lunch with whoever made their way out to the shack, depending on what jobs they decided to put their energy into that day, and they didn't ask about his tattoos and he didn't ask about Franky's botched facial reconstruction. They laughed, they joked, they played, and most importantly they got the job done.

As per Franky's prediction by the time their three weeks were up the place was liveable. Most of the flooring downstairs had been replaced (they hadn't gotten to much of the upstairs yet), they'd replaced the ocean facing walls with something a little more ocean resistant, and replaced the ocean facing windows. There was still a lot needed to be done, the plumbing and electricity were barely started and the upstairs floors needed a lot more work, but like Franky had predicted: it was liveable.

"Sabo!"

As Ivankov had promised, three weeks later they came returning with Luffy and Dragon in tow, Luffy sporting a nice tan while Ivankov and Dragon were positively red with sunburns.

"Luffy!" Sabo greeted in return, quickly turning to catch the boy who'd launched himself into the air for a hug. They were both laughing and giggling at seeing each other after so much time, it had honestly given him anxiety the first few days apart because he was constantly worried about the boy he'd come to think of as a brother in such a short period of time, but he just had to remember that Luffy was with the two heads of the revolutionary army (Kuma was getting his own vacation once the three had returned) to calm himself once more.

"The house is getting all fixed up!" Luffy jumped out of Sabo's arms presumably to explore, sprinting around the house to see all the changes that had happened while he was gone.

It was only when he tried going up the stairs that Franky managed to catch the excited boy in his arms "Whoa there little man, upstairs is a no go zone while we finish putting the floors in, go tackle Kiwi or something"

Luffy gasped "Is she a wrestler?" then without waiting for a reply he exclaimed "No but she and her sister are fighters! I have to meet them!" then sprinted off into the backyard where Sabo knew for a fact the twins were indeed unloading the lumber off the truck.

"Jeez" Franky marveled "Did he see the girls on his way in or...?" he trailed off, looking in the direction Luffy had run off and various squeals of surprise were emanating.

Sabo shrugged "Maybe, maybe not, hard to tell with Luffy"

"Interesting to see Tom's protégé here though, Flam" Ivankov commented from their place in the doorway, giving off a casual air but Sabo knew better than to trust that relaxed stance with the way they were eyeing the man who had become very _tense_.

"How's Iceberg?" Ivankov queried once it became clear Franky wasn't going to dignify their initial statement with a response.

He shrugged his massive shoulders, refusing to meet any of their eyes and instead watching the floor uncomfortably "He's doing good, got a lot of contracts with the city keeping him busy, pretty successful company and all that"

"Mhm, and yourself?" Ivankov refused to quit staring into Franky's eyes, making him increasingly uncomfortable. Sabo wanted to sink into the wall.

"Surviving" he admitted, looking around at the shack that was almost close enough to be called a house "Working"

"Yes that is something considering the rumours" Ivankov probed "What with Tom's banishment, and your supposed death." When Franky still refused to reply, Ivankov snapped out "Kokoro mourned"

"They know!" he quickly shot out, hands raised in a placating gesture "She and chimney both know I'm alive, I told them once I got back"  

At this new information Ivankov perked up and nodded "Alright" then without a second glance, walked past Franky to follow Luffy into the backyard.

Frankly blinked up at them "That's what had her irritated? That I upset Kokoro and not my connection to an infamous demon?"

Dragon sighed, walking past the bewildered man "THEY'RE friends with the mermaid, and she's one of our greatest contacts so it's understandable that we don't want any bad blood"

As Dragon joined Luffy and Ivankov in the backyard the still bewildered Franky looked to Sabo for clarification, who merely shrugged.

\----

Over the year Franky and his cohorts were a constant presence at the house during the day, fixing piping, replacing floorboards, repairing roofing tiles and more. Luffy deemed himself the ultimate apprentice, dodging between legs and carrying random objects to places _hours_ before they were needed (which resulted in some corners being filled with clutter, and tools disappearing mid task because Luffy forgot sometimes those were needed at the current moment)

Although Franky did admit to Sabo Luffy _was_ actually helping.

"He's just a little ball of joy y'know?" the handyman confessed one day while they all took a lunch break, He and Franky sitting off to the side to enjoy their sandwiches away from Luffy's grabbing hands (who had his own sandwich, the little brat)  "I'm not gonna lie, a project this huge is stressful but he just _knows_ when he's needed and when he needs to lay off. He's a smart kid"

"Yeah" Sabo chuckled into his juice box, courtesy of Luffy "He's a good kid, I don't know if I'd go so far as to say smart though"

Franky side eyed him "Yeah it's more about his innate supernatural abilities thanks to that fire demon he hung around, right?"

Sabo sputtered, choking on the juice he'd inhaled rapidly. Franky gave him a few hard knocks on the back, boisterously laughing at his misery. After a few minutes of Sabo coughing up a lung he finally managed to get out "How did you even hear about that?"

"Bro, I got my beautiful face and about 75% of my body absolutely ruined by the Kaigun when they found out I was being raised by a notorious water demon, and wanted to find out what was wrong with me. Believe me, years of exposure to that doesn't leave you 100% normal, compared to average humans." His voice lowered to a deep growl "I've made sure to keep an eye on those bastards ever since"

"Oh" Sabo hadn't known that could happen, although the practical theory _did_ make sense, and he did have physical proof next to him "And you busted yourself out?"

"Nope!" And he was back to obnoxious laughter "A frog demon named Yokozuna busted me out after a couple years, but that was decades ago. I've been on the run ever since but you guys" his voice went soft "well I think I can settle down now"

Sabo smiled, leaning his head on his hand "Well they were hunting down my little brother, I couldn't just let that fly. Although" he rubbed his chin "I don't think we spent enough time with Ace for it to truly impact Luffy. Well at least, in the way you mean. His abilities came from his mother, and some inhumane experiments"

Franky hummed in wonder "Ace. That's a nice name"

"Yeah" Sabo whispered, and his heart only ached a little "It is"

It was only a matter of months, but soon the time came when the doors held together, the floors were solid, and the pipes could actually run water. The walls held together and the roof no longer threatened collapse at the next storm. Their home was repaired.

"It's been really wonderful working with you Franky" Sabo said, and honestly meant it. Getting to know the larger than life man, and his similar experiences with the supernatural and Kaigun was enlightening to say the least. Franky had a patient and open ear, allowing Sabo to talk through what happened, and his own complicated feelings regarding Ace's disappearance from his life. He was safe, he was on the Other Side and recharging, but he wasn't _here_ and Sabo felt horribly selfish for wishing for even more when what they already got was a miracle but-

But Franky had reassured him what he felt was normal, that he was _missing_ him and that was okay.

"Bro" Franky sniffled, and that was Sabo's only warning before Franky burst into tears "Come here!" and captured him in a hug that crushed his ribs and lifted him off the ground.

Sabo chuckled, despite being nearly unable to breathe "I'll miss you too Franky, and you're always welcome to visit"

He dropped Sabo, who stumbled before righting himself "I better be! This baby is my pride and joy, and look how beautiful she is!"

Sabo smiled when Luffy sprinted forwards for his own back breaking hug "Thank you Franky, truly I really mean it"

\----

It had taken them... awhile to say the least to reach this point.

Their journey wasn't done once the house was fixed up (although it _was_ a great weight off Sabo's shoulders now that he didn't have to worry about Luffy getting sick again) there was just so much... more they needed to do.

"I'm saying" Sabo was sitting on a new couch that didn't stink of mold or soak your pants when you sat on it, courtesy of Koala who found it at a Thrift store in the nearby surf town for 50$ "That you don't need to go back, after everything you've done and everything you've given us you deserve this time with your son"

Ivankov was sitting across from him on a new sturdy dining room chair courtesy of Kuma who dropped off the set with no explanation "Sabo" they sighed, chin resting in hand with fond exasperation "I would love nothing more than to retire to the coast with my son, have Dragon visit on the weekends, and not worry about anything except Luffy's grades but the fact is" they looked him right in the eye, making Sabo sit up straight "Dragon's journey isn't complete yet, probably never will be if we're being honest with each other. Just because the Kaigun have been subdued doesn't mean they'll be gone forever, and just because one branch of crazy fanatics have been defeated doesn't mean more won't rise up to take their place" They shook their head fondly "There will always be little boys like you and Bon Clay out there who will need us. I can be there for them, and you can be here for Luffy"

And so the source of the problem lay, Ivankov's loyalty to the Revolutionaries meant they couldn't stay with Luffy who was sulking upstairs in the newly repaired and refurbished bedrooms. Apparently it was something they'd discussed on their vacation, however Luffy hadn't been pleased then and he was still very unhappy now. If Ivankov's expressions were anything to go by, Luffy wasn't holding back anything from their bond connection thing either.

Sabo sighed, voice low "He doesn't want me, Iva" Ivankov sucked in a sharp gasp, staring at him wide eyed. He hunched his shoulders in "It's true, you can see for yourself how upset he is. He loves you, he loves Ace, and me?" he shrugged, staring holes into the floor "I'm the guy who attacked his best friend and then hitched along for the ride. I'd be more use out on the field where my skills are actually _applicable-_ "

His self deprecating speech was cut off by Luffy slamming headfirst into his gut, knocking the wind out of him a disgruntled "oof" before tiny arms were wrapping him in a wet sobbing hug.

"Sabo sabo sabo sabo saboooo" Luffy kept repeating a desperate whine, clutching him tighter. Sabo felt as if his heart was in his throat, a heavy pulsing thing that threatened to come loose with tears of his own.

"I think" Ivankov started softly "That Luffy's sadness at my departure does not indicate any lesser feelings for you"

Eventually Ivankov left, and that night Luffy slept in his bed still clutching him tightly as if he too would disappear without Luffy anchoring him in place.

"I won't leave you Luffy" he whispered into his hair, late at night when they were both supposed to be asleep "I promise"

\----

One day a woman appeared at their house.

There wasn't any real reason to be suspicious of her except they lived nearly an hours' drive from civilization, and a several hours' walk. They were pretty far from the nearest highway, and as far as Sabo knew there were no campgrounds nor regularly used hiking trails nearby. These were all things he'd taken care to investigate during the several month period they'd spent fixing up the house to make sure this place was _really_ perfect for Luffy. The isolation was going to be their saviour, which made him inherently suspicious as to how she found them at all.

However his greatest reason for suspecting her was that she was _in his living room_.

He'd shouted "What the FUCK" far too loudly, dropped his tea onto the floor (shattering the cup), and had nearly thrown his book at her before Luffy cheerily rounded the corner placing himself between the shocked Sabo and the serenely smiling woman, who'd gently crossed her arms once he entered the room.

There was a long pause where nobody moved, Luffy eyeing Sabo like he was crazy, Sabo eyeing Luffy like he was crazy, and the woman staring Sabo down like a _threat_ which meant he had to stare her down too while simultaneously attempting to silently question Luffy about what the fuck was going on-

"I invited her in!" Luffy cheerily supplied, which broke the tense standoff as Sabo sputtered to stare Luffy down in incredulousness, causing the woman to relax if only slightly " She was cold and wanted to warm up so I let her in!"

"She knocked and you just let her?" He shrieked "Has no one taught you stranger danger? oh my god I don't think any of us have, Luffy you see-"

" _He_ found _me_ " she interrupted "About 45 minutes up the road, tell me do you normally allow him to wander your extensive property unsupervised for hours at a time?" she leaned her head on one elbow, the other posed carefully to spring back into the crossed arms stance she'd assumed at first.

He really he wished he could have slammed his head against the wall, but he couldn't take his eyes off the stranger in the room so he resorted to groaning in exasperation, loudly "Luffy you said you were playing on the beach"

Luffy was suddenly very _uninterested_ in meeting his gaze "well I knew you'd react badly so I just decided to bring.... her.... inside"

He absolutely needed to go over stranger danger rules with Luffy if this situation was any indicator but first he needed to deal with the stranger _inside his house_ "and did you stop to think about why I might not appreciate a strange woman in the living room?"

Luffy nodded his head so vigorously for a moment Sabo feared a spider had landed on him, but then he began shouting "Yeah! Yeah! But it's cuz you're still really anxious about everything that happened with the Kaigun so you want to make extra sure that we're all safe but I _know_ she's safe Sab!"

Sabo blinked before relaxing a little, a deep sigh escaping his chest. He'd been so caught up in making sure Luffy was happy and safe that he hadn't realized Luffy was picking up on that, he'd even forgotten Luffy had the uncanny knack of finding allies, and almost automatically knowing if someone was safe. He'd been so caught up in his own head trying to protect Luffy he'd forgotten he wasn't alone in this battle.

At his relaxation, so did the woman release her tenseness, staring at him unabashedly in curiosity. Gently, and slowly, he made his way into the living room and sat across from the woman sitting on his couch. He extended an arm "My name's Sabo"

For a moment she sat stock still to stare his hand down before cautiously place her own within its grip "Robin" she offered coolly.

"Okay so, Robin" he remained as casual as he could releasing her hand, placing his own back on his lap as she mirrored him "What has brought you to our lovely abode?" he gestured around to the house around him "I know you said you were 45 minutes up the road, but that's still several hours away from civilization, even longer by road on foot, so you didn't stumble upon us. Where are you from?"

She hummed in amusement for a second, her eyes carefully deciding what she was going to say "I heard you needed help so I came"

Sabo shook his head "That didn't answer my question, and we're managing just fine"

"But you're not" she emphasized "I heard you have him enrolled in school, yes? Grade 6?" She turned to face Luffy "Tell me, how much basic math do you know? Multiplication? long division? can you read multi syllable words all on your own? Did the Kaigun teach you about continents, or the water cycle?" At Luffy's hesitation to answer (which was answer alone in itself) she turned to face Sabo again "These are all things he's going to be expected to know and improve on. How can you expect him to excel in school when his primary caretakers never bothered to teach him?"

Sabo flushed in embarrassment, realizing his mistake. He hadn't thought to ask Luffy about his education, nor thought to stop and wonder how well Luffy would be able to handle the school system. Sabo himself had dropped out shortly after the death of his parents, at age 10, but he'd been tutored by the army.

"What I'm suggesting is" she continued after Sabo failed to verbally respond  "that I could tutor him for the next several months until he's caught up to the basic level of his peers, and even beyond that once his schooling starts"

"And what's the catch?" he laid his head in his intertwined hands, staring her down.

She raised an eyebrow "Catch?"

"What's in it for you?" he clarified coldly "Forgive me for not believing you when you say you want to trek out into the middle of nowhere to tutor a boy out of the goodness of your heart for the next several months"

She leaned back, surprised but pleased "That boy is going to make waves, Mister Outlook, and I want to be on the right side of history"

Sabo exhaled "Please, call me Sabo"

\----

Sabo couldn't help the great welling of pride and accomplishment he felt, driving his used Honda civic down the highway to the nearby town with Luffy in the back seat, backpack clutched tightly in his nervous fingers.

"You're going to have a great time Luffy" Sabo reassured him, as he had been doing the entire drive "You're a great kid, you're going to make lots of friends, your teachers are going to love your positive attitude"

"What's that mean?" Luffy asked, not taking his eyes off the window.

"Your positive attitude?" Sabo clarified, taking the turn off from the highway towards the small town (they'd discovered upon attempting grocery shopping with their new mode of transportation that there wasn't actually a direct road from their hut to the town, and had to go around an enchanted forest onto a highway and then back around again. Sabo was tempted to invest in a small boat for faster access to the closest civilization) "it means you're always happy, or at least you always _try_ to be happy, which is good"

Sabo spotted Luffy tilting his head in confusion "Why wouldn't people try to be happy? Being happy is the best!" he pumped a tiny fist in the air in emphasis.

He chuckled "Usually people do, but they aren't always successful. You're pretty good at it though so I think your teachers are going to like that" He slowed the car as they began approaching the school zone.

"Well I'm not gonna get mad if people aren't happy, I'm gonna help them be happy, because being happy is the best!" Luffy affirmed taking on a determined expression, chin jutting out and eyes sharp.

Sabo smiled warmly as he pulled the car up to the drop off zone, glad to have distracted Luffy for most of the drive. Luffy eyes widened once they realized where they arrived, his fingers tensing in their grip of his backpack again.

"Hey, hey" Sabo pulled the car over in the drop off zone, throwing it into park and turning around "Remember what we just said? You're gonna go out there and make friends, and help people be happy?"

Luffy stared down his backpack, still clutching it with all his strength. Lowly he mumbled "What if the teachers think I do a bad job"

Sabo reached a hand out, placing one scarred hand over Luffy's "Well Robin gonna keep helping you out, and the teachers are gonna be patient, and they're gonna help you do better. That's their job, and they chose it because they like helping kids"

"What if they don't like me? What if they only pretend to like me so they can do better at their job?"

With a shock Sabo's eyed widened and his own hand clenched around Luffy's "Luffy" his voice was barely a breath "Luffy look at me, okay?"

Slowly Luffy lifted his head to meet Sabo's gaze. His eyes were watery with slow growing panic and fear, making Sabo's heart clench. The Kaigun had done this to him. The Kaigun had laid such a fear of trusting others (especially adults) that even though he's never had a normal friend his entire life, he was too scared to even try. It was the Kaigun's fault Luffy had no idea how he was supposed to socialize with other kids, had never had the chance to.

_It's okay Sabo, just breath_

"This is nothing like there Luffy" He softly muttered "You'll be coming home with me at the end of the day, and Robin will probably appear out of nowhere to scare the crap out of me, right?" that elicited a small giggle from Luffy "and she'll help you with your words and your work so you'll have nothing to worry about right?"

Robin had continued appearing every day despite Sabo's apprehension, always just came waltzing down the road, tutored Luffy till dark, then walked away again. They still didn't know where she was from, and he had offered her rides but each time she'd softly laughed and refused. She scared Sabo a little, even in Luffy found her endlessly amusing, like some sort of inside joke he wasn't in on.

Luffy shyly looked up at Sabo "Promise you'll come get me?"

"I promise Lu. Now go out there and kick some butt!"

\----

It took them a few months, but they _did_ eventually get their (Sabo's) questions about Robin answered.

It was well into the winter now, Luffy was solidly 12 years old (which had brought a rather large celebration of revolutionaries and whitebeards out to their humble abode) and Sabo had finally decided to bite the bullet and get a boat for faster morning commutes. However before they needed a boat-

"Howdy bro! Long time no see!"

They needed a dock.

"Franky!" he greeted, just as excited as the blue haired man striking a pose on his front lawn to see him "Thank you so much for making the trek out here again"

Franky captured him into a back breaking bear hug, lifting him several feet off the ground "Not a problem for my craziest customer! Build a dock in the middle of storm season? We're on it!"

And sure enough every day that crazy bastard made the trek out to Sabo's hut, hauling supplies and taking measurements, laying foundations (and even more foundations when the storms rolled in) Sabo did his best to help but some days it was best left to the (insane) professionals as they battled the storms that rolled in on a whim to take out their work.

"There's too much supernatural interference" Franky explained one day over Lunch break inside the kitchen as wind battered the building "The storms are totally random because of it, so the weather network has no way of predicting these things"

"And no it's not Luffy" a cool feminine voice that still shocked Sabo every time it randomly appeared answered "He's powerful, but far too minor for something of this size" Robin continued, walking around them "It's more like the supernatural forces of the forest between you and the town"

"Babe!" Frankly exclaimed "How's the tutoring going?"

Her gaze took on a sharp tint "Just fine, but now you've ruined my fun"

Sabo's jaw hit the floor, only to fly back up to shout "YOU SENT THIS WOMAN TO MY HOUSE?"

Franky's grin was sheepish, if unapologetic "Didn't she tell you? I told her about your guys' situation out here and she said Luffy would probably need help with schooling, and Robin is super well educated so I thought it'd be perfect! I had some jobs in that nearby town so I'd just drop her off at the top of the road"

"It was good exercise" Robin supplied, slipping her hands around Franky from behind to both embrace him, and steal a sip of the mug in his hands "And Luffy is very kind"

"Bro, you just let a random strange woman into your house with no idea where she came from?"

Sabo shrugged helplessly "I trusted the demon that tried to kill me cuz Luffy said so, weirder things have happened"

Robin chuckled, successfully stealing the mug from Franky's hands, who gave an indignant squawk  "Like moving into an abandoned hut in the middle of nowhere, that suffers from some of the worst storms the west coast has to offer?"

Sabo rolled his eyes "You make it sound worse than it is. Franky did an amazing job on this place, we're never even cold!"

Robin's eyes narrowed, taking a small sip "I wonder why that is"

\----

For the last several months of school Luffy had been acting _weird_.

Sabo hadn't put that much thought into it, Luffy was hardly the conventional image of normal, so when he insisted they clean up and furnish the guest bedroom he'd rolled his eyes, footed Dragon the bill, and gotten to work.

Luffy wanted blue walls, so on Thursday he and Luffy went and bought two cans of light blue paint from the hardware store, and on the Saturday when Ivankov made their weekly visit (when they could) they all worked together to move all the furniture to the centre of the room, and get a primer coating on. Ivankov stayed the night, and on Sunday the three of them coated the walls in a comforting baby blue (getting probably a third of it on themselves) That night Dragon came and stayed for dinner, the four of them interacting in what could almost be called domestic bliss.

Dragon and Ivankov left with a kind word and wave, Sabo wrestled Luffy into a bath (Luffy would cooperate until his clothes came off, then he suddenly decided it was time to run free) and he tucked the boy into bed with not a single thought anything else might be happening.

That week they swung by the furniture store, grabbing a nice single bed and a dresser (with a mirror, Luffy insisted) along with some bedding linen and a bookshelf. Franky came out and saved the day with his truck, helping them haul the new items to the shack.

Sabo didn't even register Luffy's oddness when he started requesting to be picked up later and later, citing he wanted to hang out afterschool with some friends he'd made.

And well he wasn't lying.

But when the first day of summer rolled around and Sabo found a second child sitting at his kitchen table all the pieces fell into place, although he was reluctant to admit to himself what the most obvious conclusion was.

"Luffy" he carefully spoke, not wanting to spook the two boys eating cereal "Who's this?"

"Mm!" Luffy exclaimed through a mouth full of breakfast which he rapidly finished "This is Sanji! Can he live with us for the summer?"

At the question Sanji's eyes widened, staring down Luffy incredulously. He lowly whispered "You haven't asked yet?"

Luffy laughed "Don't worry! We fixed up the bedroom for you and everything, it's even your favourite colour"

And so Luffy's insistence on the colour, on the new furniture, and even the attempted kitchen upgrade were all because "Luffy your friend can't live with us for the summer, but he's welcome to visit as much as his parents will allow"

Luffy's eyes widened, and Sanji's immediately teared up. They both gave him such heartbroken expressions you'd have thought he was sending the boy to his death instead of back home to a family that was probably very worried for him oh my god-

"Luffy did he spend the night here?" His voice was suddenly panicked "Does his family know he's here?" He half expected the police to be knocking on his door right now.

"They don't know I'm here" Sanji mumbled, looking crestfallen at the floor "But you don't need to worry cuz they don't notice when I'm gone"

The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end at that statement, something in the boy's eyes and voice not sitting right in his chest. Carefully he suggested "Care to elaborate?"

The small blond boy hunched his shoulders in, not taking his eyes off the floor "Sometimes I don't wanna stay home cuz dad yells a lot and my brothers don't fight fair but dad doesn't stop them so I just go to the park or something for the night and then go to school"

"That's where I met Sanji!" Luffy supplied.

"And why you started asking for bigger lunches?" Sabo hinted, squinting his eyes at the two of them.

Sanji hunched his shoulder in closer, hiding his embarrassed face but Luffy was unfazed "Yeah cuz even when he did go home they didn't give him enough food, and Sanji loves to cook!"

Sabo rubbed his eyes, already considering what was in the budget, how busy Franky was, and what was within the revolutionaries legal abilities. He was reluctant to say anything aloud out of fear of raising anyone's hopes up too high but well fuck it.

He stared them both down with a cold glare "Let me make some calls and see what I can do"

Sure enough the stars that filled their eyes could have lit up the darkest of night skies.

\----

Sabo scrambled around Sanji, the two of them trading off stirring the stew and setting the table. The gangly 14 year old was no longer so short that he got underfoot, but with his recent growth spurt he now took up as much room as Sabo, and so the two of them found themselves much more crowded than they'd originally been when Sanji had first moved in with them.

Sabo slid by Sanji who was tasting the stew and shaking some more spices in, placing himself next to the much larger dining room table he'd forced himself to invest in after the third adoption (which came in handy after the fourth addition to their family, and the fifth) placing down bowls and plates for the stew and garlic bread he and Sanji had spent the last couple hours slaving over. Sanji followed close behind with cutlery and glasses while Sabo returned to the kitchen to remove the bread from the oven at the insistent beeping of the oven.

"Sanji!" he called out, both hands preoccupied with safely removing the bread from the very hot oven "Go wash up and get the others, make sure you tell Luffy last!"

"It won't even matter!" Sanji shouted back, removing his apron and hanging it on the hook "He's just gonna Know and beat everyone else down here"

"Don't worry" Sabo overheard Ivankov offer from the bottom of the stairs as Sanji went up "I'll know he's coming"

Sabo just barely caught Sanji's "Weirdoes!" shouted from upstairs with no malice behind it. He struggled to smother a proud grin while portioning out the stew into the bowls he'd set out.

Sanji had truly blossomed in the years he'd spent with them. The quiet respectable boy had grown into a fiercely passionate young man who absolutely _refused_ to let his opinions go unheard. He defended his (chosen) family with  fire like no other, and like Luffy suggested Sanji had taken to cooking like a fish in water, and it soon became an evening tradition to work on meals together for the family every night.

Tonight especially was important, it was the first night of Spring break for everyone which meant all the extended family was taking the trek out for one huge family dinner to kick off the vacation. Both Ivankov and Dragon had made it out, Franky and Robin were upstairs with everyone, and even Nojiko was making the trip out although she said she would be late due to her work. Sabo had already portioned some aside for her to prevent the many ravenous mouths from devouring all their hard work before Nami's older sister would get to try some.

Usopp came running down first, to no one's surprise. Zoro may have been the strongest of the group to his several years spent with a cult, but Usopp's months on the streets had made him the fastest runner by far, and one of their most intelligent as well.

Nami wasn't far behind, her years with a cult serving her with some terrible trauma but wonderful instincts (and knowledge) and she could nearly match Usopp in a dead sprint.

The two fourteen year olds collided at the bottom, with Luffy sailing over them as Zoro joined the pile with a startled shout. Sanji was yelling some obscenities at them all from the upstairs washroom, although from this distance he couldn't make it out. Robin gave a gentle chuckle as she moved around the three who'd begun wrestling at the foot of the stair, leaving Franky to remind them all of the food waiting for them and tear them apart from each other. The three tore rubber to get to their spots, and although Nami sported some cat scratches and Zoro was rubbing a developing bruise on his chin it was anyone's guess who had managed to injure who.

Sabo smiled fondly from the kitchen, taking a moment to lean on the counter and take in his family. Luffy had taken it upon himself to start bringing kids home, and then to justify the extensions to the house the Revolutionaries started dropping off some kids they'd rescued from cults who were too young to recruit (which meant Luffy got to recruit them, and sorry Dragon now you're never getting them back)

Sabo was broken from his musings by a harsh crack against the door.

Nami's face lit up "Nojiko!" but Sabo was already between her and the door, and even if he doubted his insticts Ivankov was already placing themselves between everyone and the entrance.

"It's a little too early" Sabo carefully suggested, which Ivankov agreed with.

"That's not Nojiko"

Sabo turned to see Luffy, who was sheet white and clutching his spoon with a death grip. Sabo hadn't seen him this nervous since their escape from the Kaigun.

Robin was already standing from her seat, waving a hand in the air, a cold expression holding her face. Her voice echoed throughout the room, a rhythmic chant in a demonic language until the temperature in the room actually did drop to below freezing.

A familiar man emerged from the kitchen (which was coated in ice) with a lazy yawn "You called?"

Luffy did not seem more relaxed with the sudden appearance of Aokiji, and Sabo was inclined to agree however Robin seemed to have it under control so he decided he was more concerned with whatever was on the other side of the door that had everyone so spooked.

"There's someone unsavory here" Robin instructed "We don't know what his intentions are"

The ice demon cocked his head "He is but a man, aren't I a little overkill?"

While that should have been comforting, Sabo still found himself just as tense as Ivankov refused to move, and Luffy remained as pale as when this had begun.

Franky slowly raised himself from his seat "Well no point in leaving it a mystery to the rest of us, I'll get it" He manoeuvred himself around Ivankov who still refused to move. Once he made it to the door he paused for a second, looking everyone in the eyes before gripping the doorknob and ripping the door open.

A large hunched figure stumbled in which made everyone jump, although thankfully Franky took the initiative to shut out the raging storm by slamming the door shut behind him. The man was huge, nearly matching Franky in height and obviously muscled. He had a cloak over his shoulders, and wet cough the racked them with shivers. For several moments nobody moved until the stranger finally deemed it appropriate to remove the hood covering his face.

While Luffy was unsurprised, he could hear Ivankov give a snarl of disgust, and Robin tensed with arms crossed.

"Luffy" Garp asked "I wanted to speak with you"

From his spot at the table Dragon gave a scoff, which succeeded in drawing Garp's attention "Son" he marvelled "I didn't know you would be here"

"I'm no son of yours" Dragon spit out "You never bothered to track _me_ down" 

Garp groaned "I tried but-!" he attempted a step forward but with the way Franky shot an arm out, and Aokiji took a threatening step forwards he thought better of it "You're a hard boy to find Dragon, especially when you don't want to be found"

"You're right, I didn't want to  be found" Dragon snapped "Because you raised me on a military base, away from civilization where you were conducting _torture_ -" his face clenched in anger "Where you tortured my _son_ for-"

"ALRIGHT" Sabo cut off "Kids, upstairs! Let the adults sort this shit out where you don't need to be involved or caught in the cross fire"

"Now just you wait" Garp interjected, even as Luffy sprung from his seat "I came here for my grandson, not Dragon"

"Grandson" Sabo explained "Is a loose term that you just barely get to use, and before you try resolving things with the boy you tortured for 8 years and haven't seen in 3, settle things with the son you haven't seen in nearly _fifteen_ "

Garp lowered his head in shame as all the children Sabo had legally adopted made their way upstairs, accompanied by Ivankov who spat on Garp's shoes as they passed. Sanji instead decided to go around to the kitchen where he retrieved some sweets from the cupboard only he, of his siblings, could reach. He too then followed the rest of them upstairs, Sabo following close behind. As Sanji went up to Luffy's bedroom (the largest, and where they all gathered when they wanted to be together) Sabo stopped at the foot.

"Dragon" he said "Come grab us if you resolve anything."

Dragon nodded tensely, and Sabo joined his kids upstairs.

\----

Over several hours their voices rose and fell, and at one point the voices all spiked in anger before the temperature plummeted. Sabo couldn't discern what was happening down there, nor could he pick out any of the actual words said, but in the end Garp left before he had a chance to confront Luffy.

They never saw him again.

\----

"One suitcase!" Sabo commanded from the front doorway "You each get ONE suitcase and so help me god Sanji if you come down with anything more than that I'm throwing you in the ocean!"

Usopp's head peeked out from the doorway "What about a backpack for the drive?"

Sabo groaned "If it fits in your lap then go ahead"

 The sixteen year old gave a loud whoop of joy before sprinting back up the stairs, probably to throw as many comic books as he could into his backpack. Zoro came down the steps pulling one tiny suitcase behind him, and nothing else.

Sabo quirked an eye brow "You sure you have enough in there to last all summer?"

The beefy green haired boy shrugged "We'll be to wash our stuff there yeah?"

"How many pairs of underwear did you pack?" Sabo stared him down.

"One"

"Young man get your ass back up there and grab some more fucking underwear!"

As Zoro sprinted up the steps he was passed by Nami on the way down, who was immediately sent back up for choosing her too large suitcase.

Sabo sighed. They'd been at this for hours now, between getting everyone up in time for breakfast, to actually getting his teenagers to start packing, and now making sure they all packed enough to last the summer while simultaneously not too much it wouldn't fit on the bus. Ivankov was no help at all, they'd driven down so they could fit everyone and their luggage between the two cars to the bus depot, but the moment they'd arrived they sat down and laughed as Sabo corralled them all into working.

"Usopp!" Sabo shouted up the stairwell "Make sure Luffy is actually packing!"

A couple crashing sounds and a startled shout later, and Sabo could hear Luffy complaining as he got back to work.

He pulled out his cell phone, grimacing at the time "Ten minutes before we leave! I want everyone down here in 5!"

It actually took 8 minutes, but he did have all 5 of his sixteen year olds lined up, each with one medium sized suitcase of clothing and provisions, and one small backpack for the bus ride.

"Alright!" Sabo announced "Luffy, Zoro, Nami you're in Iva's car. Sanji and Usopp you're with me. Suitcases in the trunk, backpacks on laps let's move it people!"

As the kids scrambled to their assigned vehicles tugging luggage behind them, Iva came up next to Sabo "It's only for two months you know"

Of course he couldn't hide his tense shoulders or shaking fingers from Iva "I know, but it's the longest I've been away from them. Hell it's the longest I'll have been away from _him_ " he shrugged in Luffy's direction "I don't know how I'm going to handle it let alone how he's going to handle it and I know this is for the best but I still-"

"You could go with them" Ivankov cut off "Nobody would stop you, and Whitebeard would welcome you with open arms"

"I know but-"

_"They're beautiful" Sabo murmured in awe_

_"They're" He flushed bright red and tried again "They're not the only ones"_

_Ace leaned in, his face inches from Sabo's-_

Sabo shook his head "Please understand, I can't go back there"

Iva nodded sadly, not saying anything as they watched everyone pack up their bags into the cars. Luffy and the others were going to be spending the summer with the whitebeards for a supernatural boot camp to get them into shape for their inevitable future as supernatural experts, per Luffy's prediction. Whitebeard had gladly offered to train them, and now they were going away. For two whole months.

Sabo sighed "At least the house is never cold"

\----

"And Izo's tree is growing just fine, and Marco found this five year old just wandering randomly in the woods and when I told him it was Thatch he looked so scared for a second but then he was so happy! The kid's parents were really worried about him, and his new name is Tajio! Whitebeard thinks Thatch's soul might have been looking for Izo's tree, and when we showed him it was growing just fine he was really relieved! Whitebeard said he can visit any time, and Zoro and Sanji sparred a lot, and i summoned a few small demons to do errands for me, and Nami and Usopp are really good at studying summoning circles so they've been talking to Iva about maybe getting some tattoos and I told them to talk to you cuz you have so many and..."

Sabo smiled as Luffy kept on talking about his time training with the whitebeards over the summer, Luffy's new friend Chopper (a small fauna demon) asleep in the backseat with Sanji, who also snoozed away the drive from the bus stop to the house.

Sabo was really glad to hear about Thatch and Izo reuniting all these years after the battle, that Thatch hadn't been devoured as they'd all feared, but most importantly that Luffy was _happy._

It was obvious, not just in the way he rambled through a grin stretching ear to ear, but also in the way he couldn't sit still, in the way his eyes sparkled and shined with excitement. Luffy had finally explored beyond their personal borders for the first time, and now he was hungry for more.

And Sabo wasn't sure for how much longer he'd be sharing his large home with the kids he'd spent five years raising.

\----

_Dear Sabo,_

_Luffy is too busy admiring the scenery to write you a letter, but we promised to keep in touch and I don't want you worrying so I have decided to write to you first.  
Russia is very cold, but it hasn't dampened anyone's excitement in the slightest. You can _ feel _the supernatural energy permeating everything. The Other Side is everywhere here, if you know where to look. Nami and Usopp have complained the most about the cold, but Luffy is 100% unaffected (I wonder...?)_  
We're going to spend the next couple days in St Petersburg, but everyone can tell how eager Luffy is to dive into the forests. We have the coordinates of the forest his mom developed ~~her~~ their abilities in, but he doesn't care. He says each forest is just as powerful as the next, so long as we find a large enough one he'll be satisfied.   
By the time you receive this we'll already be in camping in the woods (stop your worrying, we'll be fine) so please don't be alarmed if you don't get any letters from us in the next couple weeks. Honestly we're 18 Sabo, and we've training for this for years. Go back to your knitting or whatever you almost 30 year olds do when you're not worrying about fully competent adults.

_Sincerely,  
Sanji_

_\----_

_Dearest Sabo,_

_Zoro and Sanji are sparring over what we should have for dinner, and Luffy is about 30 seconds from joining so I'll write you the letter this time around. Usopp probably would have but he's three hours into a complicated cult circle analysis and honestly who knows how much longer he'll go._  
Japan is very nice, thank you for asking. There's a different kind of spirituality than what we've seen before, an almost openness that the rest of the world lacks. Usopp thinks it's because of the local religions influence on how these things develop, which is a rather large can of worms to consider. Say religions have a grain of truth to them, then arguably you could study and predict which supernatural influences were at their strongest at which periods of time by studying the local mythology and religions. We sent our hypothesis to Robin, and Franky wrote back saying they were going to be joining us immediately, so I'd like to think our theory has some credibility.  
I'm enjoying the conveniences of modern Japan much more than rural China, but the demons there were certainly fascinating(and Usopp CLAIMS he saw a Dragon, but no one else can confirm so it's become an inside joke)    
We'll be going to Australia next, then who knows? 

_With love,  
Nami_

_\----_

_To Sabo:_

_I had to wrestle Luffy of the pen and paper, but it's MY turn to write the letter to you so he can wait his damn turn!_  
Please don't laugh but we hightailed it out of Australia almost immediately after we arrived. We thought Russia was permeated with energy, Australia was literally overflowing with it! (No wonder all the wildlife is so aggressive there) We also discovered that Chopper can change forms into some pretty bad ass fighting forms! It only sucked cuz... he couldn't control it.... Before you begin ripping your hair out and buying a ticket to us I promise nobody is injured! Luffy was able to subdue him before any of us got hurt, although Zoro did manage to hurt Chopper a bit but everyone's fine now!  
AND GUESS WHAT??? We're staying on a ghost ship now! Luffy threw chopper into the ocean to get him back from his enraged out of control superhero state and then a ghost ship picked him up, which he meant we had to go track it down cuz we never leave a man behind! Luffy (of course) ended up befriending a spirit on board named Brook, so he's joined us for the ride I guess?   
Right now we're probably going to sail to India next, but Nami really wants to check out the Sahara desert, and Robin said something about wanting to study Ethiopian supernatural beings so I guess we've got the next bit of our adventure planned out!

_Missing you,  
Usopp_

_\----_

_Sabo,_

_Nami reminded me today that it's been two years since we left, not exactly but well two years and some have passed and I guess  
I miss you a lot Sab. This adventure with my friends has been so much fun, never knowing where we're going next or what we're going to find. We've met some really cool people along the way, and did Nami tell you she's officially dating the desert Fae we met in Egypt? cuz she is. Nami wants me to write that her name is Vivi not "the desert Fae we met in Egypt" so there you go. Apparently we met years ago, and I mean _ years _ago like back when we were still with Ace running from the Kaigun years ago. She was on the bus, gave me a granola bar. Guess she was visiting? Pretty shitty trip if you ask me._  
But just like that, every little thing is reminding me of you and... and Ace right now. I haven't seen you in years and I know I was pretty little and didn't spend that long with him but it still hurts sometimes and I don't know if that's normal? I don't know if it really hit me what happened cuz all I knew was that he was safe and not hurting anymore but I never got to see him again and FUCK I've been training and studying so hard but I still don't know if it's safe to bring him back and it just hurts a lot.   
Please don't get me wrong Sab, I miss you a lot too. I miss you so much some days I wake up staring at the stars wondering if you're looking up at the same night sky as me, but then I remember you're on the other side of the world and it's probably day time and maybe you're gardening like you always said you would once you had time to yourself or maybe you're doing missions for the revs again or I don't know. Sometimes I go days without thinking of you and then a letter arrives and I miss you so much all over again.   
And I'm sorry but even though my chest hurts so much every time I think of it I can't come back yet. There's so much more of the world to explore and discover! There are so many more cultures and demons to find, people to meet, cult circles for Nami and Usopp to study, and fights for Zoro and Sanji to have. Every time I think of how much is left out there to see my heart feels light again, and I swear I can fly. 

_I'll see you again someday, if not soon but I promise you I will  
Luffy_

_\----_

_For Sabo,_

_Nami and Usopp seem to think this summoning circle may help you. Enclosed are summoning instructions._

_\- Robin_

_\----_

_There's nothing that I'd take back_

_But it's hard to say there's nothing I regret_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FUCKING SHIT GUYS WE MADE IT   
> but seriously I want to thank first foremost everyone who read, kudosed, favourited, subscribed, and most importantly commented on these chapters because you guys made doing this thing worth doing seriously, a hundred thousand thanks to all of you.   
> On a more personal note I'd like to thank my neighbour and friend of 7 years Emma who has let me stay at her house late into the night for months now, and let me bounce ideas off her despite knowing literally nothing about One Piece or fanfiction. Emma you're my oldest fan and one of my greatest supporters so thank you so much for this.   
> On that vein I'd like to thank my Mom for always supporting my writing, even back when I was writing shitty Hetalia self insert fanfiction. You've always supported my ideas and concepts from the very beginning so thank you so much.   
> I'd like to thank the organizers of the 2017 Big Bang for without them this might have never happened, since my ideas are great but my motivation is always so terrible. Even if I didn't manage to finish in time for the deadline, I'm still eternally grateful for the opportunity to participate in this event.   
> I'd also like to thank CaptainSway for the beautiful art she made for chapter 6, you were a wonderful artist partner to have and I have nothing but merry wishes for you.   
> Last but absolutely not least I'd like to thank Lee for becoming one of my closest friends during this project. No matter what you say, you're MY senpai since I read your fic first, but I'm 100% serious when I say this last chapter might not have happened if it weren't for you (it definitely wouldn't have happened so fast) I'm hoping I can continue stealing your stamina and motivation, and keep on writing for years to come.   
> Thank you everyone for sticking through this with me. I know 90k might not seem like much in the fanfiction world, but that's longer than Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, qualifies as a Novel according to Google, and is definitely the longest story I've ever written. Here's to many more


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